Krivoi_Rog, while Bitter Ashes' backstory is interesting, what I'm looking for here is more of a real-world description of the character you want to play in terms of race, class, background, and personal characteristics. If you're interested, please post those details about your character.
Ulben is over trusting of others, and us looking for his wife. He believes his talents were given to him so that he could use them to benefit the world. The Inn where he learned to cook is the most important place in the world to him. Ulben is oblivious to things around him.
Okay, thanks coachmanak. I missed that on my first read-through.
I'm going to send out a PM to everyone that I've selected with a link to the "campaign" where you can post your character sheets. Once everyone's character is complete, I'll post a link to the campaign thread.
I'd like to recruit two or three more players to join an ongoing campaign. Please read the first post of this thread for an intro and instructions on how to apply. Here's a link to the campaign thread, so you can get an idea of how it's going. The current lineup of the party is as follows:
AluziraWater Genasi Sage Bard who is still traveling from tavern to tavern to make a living playing the flute
AnakisTiefling Urchin Shadow Magic Sorcerer who travels with the hope of helping the people of the outer settlements, especially the other street kids, from the dangers of the bog
Tarek Human Acolyte Paladin who claims himself to be a reincarnation of the spirit of a noble warrior of the deity he serves
Torrent Water Genasi Hermit Druid who has now come into the main city in an attempt to find help to return equilibrium to the surrounding nature
Ulben Half-Elf Guild Artisan Monk who still is a fool and is convinced that his wife was kidnapped
My plan is for new player characters to be brought in the next time the party is in a settlement.
I'm re-posting the following from the original post for ease of reference and to bump the thread:
Setting:
Ekuepool is a walled city of about 30.000 people, lying roughly at the latitude of the real-world cities of Washington, D.C., or Lisbon. It is ruled over by the noble Lord Guernot and contains a wide array of temples, guilds, inns, and taverns. Goods and services are readily available.
The city and the farmlands which support it are built on land that was reclaimed long ago from the surrounding marshlands, known to the city's inhabitants as the Clouded Bog because of the murkiness of its water. Having grown from a small settlement on an island in the middle of the bog, the city has historically used the marsh as a natural defense against encroachment by foreign powers. The city's walls, on the other hand, keep out the horrors of the bog itself, which are many. The surrounding area is also patrolled by the lord's men who strive to keep the inhabited areas safe, although occasionally black bears are known to emerge from the swamp to forage in the farmers' fields. Because of the high degree of lethality involved in overland travel, most of the city's inhabitants do not go more than a half-day's journey outside the city and are back inside by nightfall.
A single gate in the wall's southeastern side is its only opening, through which all commerce must travel. From this gate, runs a causeway through the swamp which connects the city to the outside world. Those who travel this road call it the Cursed Passage because of the many monsters that lurk along its length, making travel dangerous. The merchants of the city tell tales of snakes of tremendous size that waylay travelers along the road and of the many unfortunate souls who have fallen prey to their venomous bites.
Clockwise from the gate, a half-day's journey to the south of the city, lies Steepgulch, a large hamlet of about 400 additional subjects of Lord Guernot, also patrolled by his men. Inhabitants of the hamlet who have visited the city warn of strange, glowing lights that have been seen moving around in the swamp nearby, seeking to lure travelers to their doom.
Hunters and foresters who have traveled into the swamp to the southwest tell tales of their companions having been swallowed by humongous, man-eating toads which plague the area.
To the northwest, on the side of the city opposite to the city gate and where the wall is the highest, tales are told of a horror beyond all others, a great, floating ball of many eyes that dwells in the marsh and devours all foolish enough to pass that way with its horrible mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth.
To the north of the city, lies a lake known as Turtle Loch, although turtles are not the only reptiles known to inhabit the vicinity. It is the source of the city's fresh water, and water-bearers and those who maintain the pipes that bring water to the city's wealthier citizens speak of lizards, much larger than man-sized, that have been known to snap up those who have been caught unawares, engulfing them in their large maws.
Finally, to the northeast, the city-dwellers report sightings of a gray-green giant that lives in the bog, eating any creature that comes within grasp of its terrible claws. Rumor also has it that this giant (if indeed there is only one of these creatures) cannot be killed by mere weapons alone.
Clearly, the Clouded Bog is a dangerous place, and knowledge of the world more than a few miles from the city is vague and the subject of conjecture.
Characters:
Race/subrace, class/subclass, background, feat, and spell options are limited to the Basic Rules, Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Elemental Evil Player's Companion, Curse of Strahd: Character Options, and Xanathar's Guide to Everything only. If you have a custom background idea, run it by me first so we can work out the details.
Characters will start at level 1 and will use XP advancement. XP will typically be awarded upon the completion of a "quest" and return to an inhabited area.
Hit point increases at each level-up can be rolled in the thread, or you can take the average. However, you can't change your mind after you roll.
Ability score prerequisites must be met for feats and multiclassing.
Variant encumbrance must be enabled, and coins will count against weight carried.
Ability scores are to be generated using standard array/point buy.
Take your class and background's starting equipment.
Provide your character's personal characteristics and write a short (tweet length) backstory.
Houserules:
As mentioned above, the Encumbrance variant will be used.
The navigator's Passive Survival will be used for attempts to navigate from one place to another when the outcome is uncertain, so there's a real possibility of becoming lost without knowing that you've traveled in an unintended direction.
The Gritty Realism variant will be used, changing the length of a long rest to seven days and a short rest to eight hours.
Inspiration, while not a houserule, will be used to drive the creation of a story. The personal characteristics you choose for your character will inform and be tested by the situations with which your character is faced. For those familiar with Fate, I will often offer Inspiration in the form of a "compel".
Morale is DM-facing so may not be apparent, but you should be aware that monsters may not always fight to the death.
Training to Gain Levels requires a character to spend downtime and gold to level up. For example, once enough XP have been earned to attain 2nd level, a character must spend 10 days of downtime self-training (or 5 days with a higher-level tutor of the same class) at a cost of 180 gp per day, before advancing to 2nd level. Costs increase at higher levels, although the amount of downtime needed remains consistent, and at a certain level self training without a tutor can be completed in 5 days.
Requirements:
For the enjoyment of everyone involved, you must be available to post at least twice a day. Sometimes you will only need to post once, but twice will be the usual expectation. If I have a reason I need to take some time away from the campaign, I will let you know, and I would expect the same consideration from anyone who participates.
Also, this campaign absolutely requires that you be willing to discuss options with the other players and make decisions together. Sometimes this will require more than the minimum frequency of posting to account for the back and forth that will often be necessary.
If you're interested, post a short write-up of your character including his/her/their name, class, race, background, personal characteristics, and (tweet-sized) backstory.
Feel free to post any questions you may have about the campaign here as well.
it wasn't his fault that he was born a bastard to a duke, and brought up by a scullery maid.
nor was it his fault he fell through the roof of the mages academy when he was spying on them at 8 years old, landed on the table of the head mage, and "accidentally" slipped off with his spell book.
not even that he didn't give it back because he had a burning desire to look at it.
but it was his fault really.
because up until that point he had done nothing exponentially wrong.
up until the wizard who he stole from came to retrieve his book, and Keenan, out of blind panic, shoved that dagger through his chest.
it was his fault that he killed three more innocent guards trying to escape, stabbing them in the back.
it was his fault that he fell In with the thieves guild, and agreed to a contract that held him for life.
it was his fault when he slipped away 10 years later after nearly getting captured by the guards.
it was his fault he is now on the run from the mages, the kingdom and the thieves guild.
everything seemed dire back then.
until........ he learned of a place across the waves. a place where you could remake yourself, garner your reputation, and find forgiveness for the atrocities you have committed.
the City of Ekuepool
wadduyou think?
Keenan now carries a dec of red cards, each depicting a dagger in a pool of blood, a singed body, or some other cause of death. these are reminders of all the innocents he has killed. there are 34 of them. every time he saves a life, he discards one of the cards.
he is gonna be an arcane trickster, who uses swordplay and magic to get out of difficult situations
Personality traits: absentmindedly(sometimes unconsciously) steals things, he absolutely HATES pickles (he doesn't know why he just has a thing for them), and dislikes those who kill without conscience and fight without mercy
Ideals: equality-all people should be treated the same, no matter who they are, and Mercy-any death is too much, and killing an innocent is the most brazenly evil act anyone can commit
Bonds: his raven (familliar) Mercury who helped him escape the guards, but lost a leg in the process.
Flaw: abhores killing, but will hunt down and kill those who have slain or threaten innocent people; regrets stealing his spell book and killing the mage he stole it from. one day he will find a child, and pass on the spell book so others can benefit as he did
if you accept me I have a couple of questions:
1. will I start at level 1 or the current level of the party?
2. I did not see the Sword Coast Adventurers Guide as one of the books, but would I be allowed to use the Booming Blade cantrip?
3. does your group approve of optimizing, heavy roleplaying, and the occasional bad pun? (I am able to not optimize but the puns are mandatory)
@amgonnayeet, your character looks great! Thanks for the response. I'm a little way off from making a selection due to what's going on in the campaign at the moment, but I will certainly keep you in mind and let you know as the time gets closer. I'm assuming from your description that Keenan's a (level 1) human rogue with the Noble background. Is that correct?
To answer your questions:
1. I've decided to start all PCs at level 1. We're using XP, so even if the rest of the party were significantly higher level than you to begin with, you'd catch up pretty quickly. That being said, the rest of the party is currently still at level 1. They'll probably have some XP by the time you'd be introduced, or be at level 2, but I think you'd get close to caught up before they reach level 3.
2. No, I'd like to keep spells limited to the sources I've listed to begin with. Perhaps there'd be an opportunity for a character to customize a similar spell at higher levels, though.
3. I can't speak for everyone, but since I'm the one doing the recruiting, I'll say that I try to be welcoming of most playstyles and priorities. I have no problem with optimizers and power-gamers, although I will say we have some relative beginners in the group for whom that isn't a priority. As far as "heavy roleplaying", it kind of depends what you mean. I can't see it being a bad thing, and I think preferences across the group vary. My personal preference is for roleplaying that's about choosing actions for your character. I.e., that your character is expressed by what he/she does, rather than through more emotive descriptions that don't really drive the action forward. Puns are fine as long as they're truly occasional. :)
hey. all of this sounds good. the third point was mostly a joke so dont worry about that, for the second point yup I will stick to the spells in xanathars guide and the PhB, and for the first I just wanted to know what level to make my sheet at. Keenans Backround is actually a criminal, as even though he was born to a duke, he was raised by a scullery maid.
I am also an experienced dnd player (4+ years of 5e), so if any of the newer players need help, I am here to help
would you also PM me the campaign thread, just so I can catch up on what has been happening so far
cheers :)
Edit: In the intervening months i have done quite a few PbPs, so here is a second character to consider. Hopefully my backstory making skills have improved a bit ;)
The basic idea is that my character is a demon called the Malachi. Conceived in violence, to do violence and to die violently. never to know love and to be killed by your son before his tenth birthday. but Archeron is different. his father Adrian was the first Malachi to fall in love. he doesn't know why, but when he saw Cherise he couldn't stop thinking about her. however, he didn't know how to show his affection, and she only pitied him. not because he was the Malachi (she didn't know this) but because he was lonely. one night his desire was so strong, that he followed her home, and attacked her. he ran off ashamed of what he had done, but it was too late. Cherise was pregnant. she would give birth to Adrians doom, and he didn't even know it. however, she was the daughter of a noble involved in the wars, and they gave her a choice- get rid of the child and stay here, or leave and never come back. she decided to get rid of it, like any sane person, but when she saw Ash, she couldnt give him up. she left that night. Ash has never known excess. he and his mother lived in extreme poverty, but even though Ash caused this, she always loved him. he was the first Malachi to know love, and to love in return. even in the circumstances, Ash lived until he was 16. it was then his powers emerged. his friend Caleb revealed himself as another demon, the Malphas, who was sent to look out for Ash. when his powers emerged, Caleb tried to train him, but nicks powers were too out of control. he was a danger to all around him- not to mention that he would be killed if anyone found out his true identity. so Ash left. he left a note for his mother, explaining everything, and left with Caleb. it was then, Ash had a brilliant idea. he would masquerade as a warlock. Caleb would be his "patron", while actually helping him to develop his powers. he would protect Ash, as anyone who killed him would gain his powers- and create a massive threat to the world. this carried on for years until Ash decided to do some good, and help the world. Caleb advised him against it, but Ash was adamant. He decided to travel to the City of Ekuepool, where he could find his purpose. But his father was looking for him...
OK, no worries! I should also say, for anyone interested in this sort of thing, that although I'm welcoming and tolerant of variation in "play-style" and agenda, what I'm trying to do with this campaign is to have a story that emerges from game-play. So the focus isn't on finding out about stuff the DM made up, as I'm sure many D&D games are, but rather on discovering who the player characters are through their actions.
Link to the campaign thread here (as well as up-thread in post #25) for anyone interested in reading it. You can see for yourself whether it has been at all successful in what I'm trying to do. I'll PM you a link as well.
It looks like you may still be looking for someone, so I'll throw my hat in the ring. I'm new to PbP, but it seems intuitive enough.
Name: Nicolas
Race: Human
Class: Warlock
Background: Charlatan (forgery)
Backstory: Nicolas didn't like leaving the city, but when the treasure map came across his desk, he couldn't resist. It looked easy enough. There wasn't supposed to be a couatl guarding the place. After Nicolas was defeated by the creature, it offered him a deal. The couatl was forbidden from leaving the location it guarded, but knew that its death was eminent. It needed offspring that could carry on its mission. In exchange for letting him go, Nicolas would find the couatl a mate. After a bit of shrewd negotiating, Nicolas left the place a celestial warlock on a mission ... of course, no one put a timeline on finding this mate.
Personality Traits: I lie about almost everything, even when there's no good reason to. I fall in and out of love easily, and am always pursuing someone.
Ideal: Fairness. I never target people who can't afford to lose a few coins.
Bond: I swindled and ruined a person who didn't deserve it. I seek to atone for my misdeeds but might never be able to forgive myself.
Flaw: I'm too greedy for my own good. I can't resist swindling people who are more powerful than me.
Backstory: I remember a wizard. He looks old, tired... upset. I am sorry for something, but i don't remember what. He says that he too is sorry, but what's done is done. I feel an uncontrollable rage begin building inside of me. He moves quickly - A flash of light followed by nausea and dizziness.
Now I am in a field and it is a beautiful day. I remember nothing but these last moments, perhaps a small mistake in whatever magic was used to wipe my mind. This sliver of memory will haunt me day and night as i travel the countryside, looking for answers. I know that i am strong, so i use this to my advantage, building a bit of a reputation as an arm wrestling champion. One night, someone in the crowd calls me "Henrik", possibly mistaking me for some long-lost friend, and the name just sort of sticks."
Personality Traits: I don’t pay attention to the risks in a situation. Never tell me the odds.The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t do it.
Ideal: Freedom. Chains are meant to be broken, as are those who would forge them.
Bond: Something important was taken from me, and I aim to steal it back.
Flaw: If there’s a plan, I’ll forget it. If I don’t forget it, I’ll ignore it.
EDIT: I know these personality traits, flaws etc. read like a real headache for DM and party, i assure you they are only for RP purposes. I promise not to compromise group strategy for the sake of playing service to these traits.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Heya. I'm really invested in what you have going here. I am an experienced player, and can post flexibly. So in case you're looking for another character amongst your group...here's Colt!
Name: Colt (Coltalyion)
Race: Aasimar (version in the Dungeon Master's Guide)
Class: A Bard (Lore) of silver tongue and beguiling charm.
Appearance:
Colt is fair skinned, with a mess of lilac hair domesticated into a flaring ponytail. His eyes could be seen as beautiful, or disturbing: the borderlines of iris and pupil are married into one inky-black pool, constantly reflecting the stars of the astral plain. Most likely, you’ll catch this Aasimar sporting a long, tan-leather trenchcoat overtop a loose cotton tunic. Across his chest hangs a bandoleer of beautiful vials, containing various oddities (in some, clots of coloured magical smoke, while in others....pulsating organs of small, extraordinary creatures). The first thing one notices about Colt, though, is the air of confidence he carries with him. In fact, you can almost hear the silver tongue that flits behind his contagious smile.
Background: Entertainer.
Backstory:
Coltaylion (or Colt for short) knows in his heart that he spent too much of his time around mortal men. Indeed, he couldn’t help it... their love of life, their curious nature and, most of all, their music, were all fascinating to him.
Colt felt he fitted right in when humming the tune of everyday bustle, and came to accept the hardships that were an inevitability of it. It was a sense of belonging that the angel could not quite find striding along the undying halls of his celestial forbears. Maybe it was this, or perhaps it was the mortal music that he brought back with him, that prompted the gods to cast him from their ranks. Either way, he was... just too different from the rest.
Stripped of his immortality, Colt has come to resent all deities and renounce his heritage, instead finding his place (and joy) amongst session musicians in the back of rowdy taverns. In fact, his unusual charm (along with his extraordinary musical prowess) have earned the Aasimar a good reputation in the town he has come to settle in: Eukepool.
Personality trait: For most of us, life is short. So laugh! Sing, dance, indulge in a little sin and alcohol. It won't harm you in the long run....and trust me, the gods don't care.
Bond: The people of Eukepool took me in as one of their own, with no questions asked. That is a debt I will never be able to repay....but I will do everything I must to come close to my goal, before I take my last breath.
Flaw: The gods abandoned me, so what could I possibly owe them? They are cruel shepherds, and Clerics are their sheep.
(I'm laughing over here, because the two characters you're replacing were in game cousins :P
And apparently not unheard of in this campaign haha
And I could totally take healer feat if I need to. The warlock patron I was gonna take has a few healing abilities already and if we make it to 3rd level, he should have spare the dying.
When the time comes, I'll send out a group DM. When it will be kind of depends on some things in-game that aren't exactly under my control. Thanks to everyone who has submitted characters for this round so far!
Backstory: "Si the Demander" was rescued from a band of orc raiders by a noble family, who raised him and gave him an education in the monastery. Si does not know who his parents were, or from which clan they hail, but he has a deep sense of justice and a burning hatred for orcs.
Krivoi_Rog, while Bitter Ashes' backstory is interesting, what I'm looking for here is more of a real-world description of the character you want to play in terms of race, class, background, and personal characteristics. If you're interested, please post those details about your character.
These are Ulben's traites and what not
Ulben is over trusting of others, and us looking for his wife. He believes his talents were given to him so that he could use them to benefit the world. The Inn where he learned to cook is the most important place in the world to him. Ulben is oblivious to things around him.
Thom Everyman- Midgard One Shots
DMing- The Voyage of the Fallen Star
Okay, thanks coachmanak. I missed that on my first read-through.
I'm going to send out a PM to everyone that I've selected with a link to the "campaign" where you can post your character sheets. Once everyone's character is complete, I'll post a link to the campaign thread.
Thank you everyone for your interest!
Hi,
I'd like to recruit two or three more players to join an ongoing campaign. Please read the first post of this thread for an intro and instructions on how to apply. Here's a link to the campaign thread, so you can get an idea of how it's going. The current lineup of the party is as follows:
My plan is for new player characters to be brought in the next time the party is in a settlement.
Thanks for your interest and happy gaming!
I'm re-posting the following from the original post for ease of reference and to bump the thread:
Setting:
Ekuepool is a walled city of about 30.000 people, lying roughly at the latitude of the real-world cities of Washington, D.C., or Lisbon. It is ruled over by the noble Lord Guernot and contains a wide array of temples, guilds, inns, and taverns. Goods and services are readily available.
The city and the farmlands which support it are built on land that was reclaimed long ago from the surrounding marshlands, known to the city's inhabitants as the Clouded Bog because of the murkiness of its water. Having grown from a small settlement on an island in the middle of the bog, the city has historically used the marsh as a natural defense against encroachment by foreign powers. The city's walls, on the other hand, keep out the horrors of the bog itself, which are many. The surrounding area is also patrolled by the lord's men who strive to keep the inhabited areas safe, although occasionally black bears are known to emerge from the swamp to forage in the farmers' fields. Because of the high degree of lethality involved in overland travel, most of the city's inhabitants do not go more than a half-day's journey outside the city and are back inside by nightfall.
A single gate in the wall's southeastern side is its only opening, through which all commerce must travel. From this gate, runs a causeway through the swamp which connects the city to the outside world. Those who travel this road call it the Cursed Passage because of the many monsters that lurk along its length, making travel dangerous. The merchants of the city tell tales of snakes of tremendous size that waylay travelers along the road and of the many unfortunate souls who have fallen prey to their venomous bites.
Clockwise from the gate, a half-day's journey to the south of the city, lies Steepgulch, a large hamlet of about 400 additional subjects of Lord Guernot, also patrolled by his men. Inhabitants of the hamlet who have visited the city warn of strange, glowing lights that have been seen moving around in the swamp nearby, seeking to lure travelers to their doom.
Hunters and foresters who have traveled into the swamp to the southwest tell tales of their companions having been swallowed by humongous, man-eating toads which plague the area.
To the northwest, on the side of the city opposite to the city gate and where the wall is the highest, tales are told of a horror beyond all others, a great, floating ball of many eyes that dwells in the marsh and devours all foolish enough to pass that way with its horrible mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth.
To the north of the city, lies a lake known as Turtle Loch, although turtles are not the only reptiles known to inhabit the vicinity. It is the source of the city's fresh water, and water-bearers and those who maintain the pipes that bring water to the city's wealthier citizens speak of lizards, much larger than man-sized, that have been known to snap up those who have been caught unawares, engulfing them in their large maws.
Finally, to the northeast, the city-dwellers report sightings of a gray-green giant that lives in the bog, eating any creature that comes within grasp of its terrible claws. Rumor also has it that this giant (if indeed there is only one of these creatures) cannot be killed by mere weapons alone.
Clearly, the Clouded Bog is a dangerous place, and knowledge of the world more than a few miles from the city is vague and the subject of conjecture.
Characters:
Race/subrace, class/subclass, background, feat, and spell options are limited to the Basic Rules, Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Elemental Evil Player's Companion, Curse of Strahd: Character Options, and Xanathar's Guide to Everything only. If you have a custom background idea, run it by me first so we can work out the details.
Characters will start at level 1 and will use XP advancement. XP will typically be awarded upon the completion of a "quest" and return to an inhabited area.
Hit point increases at each level-up can be rolled in the thread, or you can take the average. However, you can't change your mind after you roll.
Ability score prerequisites must be met for feats and multiclassing.
Variant encumbrance must be enabled, and coins will count against weight carried.
Ability scores are to be generated using standard array/point buy.
Take your class and background's starting equipment.
Provide your character's personal characteristics and write a short (tweet length) backstory.
Houserules:
As mentioned above, the Encumbrance variant will be used.
The navigator's Passive Survival will be used for attempts to navigate from one place to another when the outcome is uncertain, so there's a real possibility of becoming lost without knowing that you've traveled in an unintended direction.
The Gritty Realism variant will be used, changing the length of a long rest to seven days and a short rest to eight hours.
Inspiration, while not a houserule, will be used to drive the creation of a story. The personal characteristics you choose for your character will inform and be tested by the situations with which your character is faced. For those familiar with Fate, I will often offer Inspiration in the form of a "compel".
Morale is DM-facing so may not be apparent, but you should be aware that monsters may not always fight to the death.
Training to Gain Levels requires a character to spend downtime and gold to level up. For example, once enough XP have been earned to attain 2nd level, a character must spend 10 days of downtime self-training (or 5 days with a higher-level tutor of the same class) at a cost of 180 gp per day, before advancing to 2nd level. Costs increase at higher levels, although the amount of downtime needed remains consistent, and at a certain level self training without a tutor can be completed in 5 days.
Requirements:
For the enjoyment of everyone involved, you must be available to post at least twice a day. Sometimes you will only need to post once, but twice will be the usual expectation. If I have a reason I need to take some time away from the campaign, I will let you know, and I would expect the same consideration from anyone who participates.
Also, this campaign absolutely requires that you be willing to discuss options with the other players and make decisions together. Sometimes this will require more than the minimum frequency of posting to account for the back and forth that will often be necessary.
If you're interested, post a short write-up of your character including his/her/their name, class, race, background, personal characteristics, and (tweet-sized) backstory.
Feel free to post any questions you may have about the campaign here as well.
I will give it a shot
here is Keenan Tristas
illusionist extraordinaire.
ok its not Keenans fault everything went wrong.
it wasn't his fault that he was born a bastard to a duke, and brought up by a scullery maid.
nor was it his fault he fell through the roof of the mages academy when he was spying on them at 8 years old, landed on the table of the head mage, and "accidentally" slipped off with his spell book.
not even that he didn't give it back because he had a burning desire to look at it.
but it was his fault really.
because up until that point he had done nothing exponentially wrong.
up until the wizard who he stole from came to retrieve his book, and Keenan, out of blind panic, shoved that dagger through his chest.
it was his fault that he killed three more innocent guards trying to escape, stabbing them in the back.
it was his fault that he fell In with the thieves guild, and agreed to a contract that held him for life.
it was his fault when he slipped away 10 years later after nearly getting captured by the guards.
it was his fault he is now on the run from the mages, the kingdom and the thieves guild.
everything seemed dire back then.
until........ he learned of a place across the waves. a place where you could remake yourself, garner your reputation, and find forgiveness for the atrocities you have committed.
the City of Ekuepool
wadduyou think?
Keenan now carries a dec of red cards, each depicting a dagger in a pool of blood, a singed body, or some other cause of death. these are reminders of all the innocents he has killed. there are 34 of them. every time he saves a life, he discards one of the cards.
he is gonna be an arcane trickster, who uses swordplay and magic to get out of difficult situations
Personality traits: absentmindedly(sometimes unconsciously) steals things, he absolutely HATES pickles (he doesn't know why he just has a thing for them), and dislikes those who kill without conscience and fight without mercy
Ideals: equality-all people should be treated the same, no matter who they are, and Mercy-any death is too much, and killing an innocent is the most brazenly evil act anyone can commit
Bonds: his raven (familliar) Mercury who helped him escape the guards, but lost a leg in the process.
Flaw: abhores killing, but will hunt down and kill those who have slain or threaten innocent people; regrets stealing his spell book and killing the mage he stole it from. one day he will find a child, and pass on the spell book so others can benefit as he did
if you accept me I have a couple of questions:
1. will I start at level 1 or the current level of the party?
2. I did not see the Sword Coast Adventurers Guide as one of the books, but would I be allowed to use the Booming Blade cantrip?
3. does your group approve of optimizing, heavy roleplaying, and the occasional bad pun? (I am able to not optimize but the puns are mandatory)
thanks :)
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
@amgonnayeet, your character looks great! Thanks for the response. I'm a little way off from making a selection due to what's going on in the campaign at the moment, but I will certainly keep you in mind and let you know as the time gets closer. I'm assuming from your description that Keenan's a (level 1) human rogue with the Noble background. Is that correct?
To answer your questions:
1. I've decided to start all PCs at level 1. We're using XP, so even if the rest of the party were significantly higher level than you to begin with, you'd catch up pretty quickly. That being said, the rest of the party is currently still at level 1. They'll probably have some XP by the time you'd be introduced, or be at level 2, but I think you'd get close to caught up before they reach level 3.
2. No, I'd like to keep spells limited to the sources I've listed to begin with. Perhaps there'd be an opportunity for a character to customize a similar spell at higher levels, though.
3. I can't speak for everyone, but since I'm the one doing the recruiting, I'll say that I try to be welcoming of most playstyles and priorities. I have no problem with optimizers and power-gamers, although I will say we have some relative beginners in the group for whom that isn't a priority. As far as "heavy roleplaying", it kind of depends what you mean. I can't see it being a bad thing, and I think preferences across the group vary. My personal preference is for roleplaying that's about choosing actions for your character. I.e., that your character is expressed by what he/she does, rather than through more emotive descriptions that don't really drive the action forward. Puns are fine as long as they're truly occasional. :)
Thanks for the interest!
hey. all of this sounds good. the third point was mostly a joke so dont worry about that, for the second point yup I will stick to the spells in xanathars guide and the PhB, and for the first I just wanted to know what level to make my sheet at. Keenans Backround is actually a criminal, as even though he was born to a duke, he was raised by a scullery maid.
I am also an experienced dnd player (4+ years of 5e), so if any of the newer players need help, I am here to help
would you also PM me the campaign thread, just so I can catch up on what has been happening so far
cheers :)
Edit: In the intervening months i have done quite a few PbPs, so here is a second character to consider. Hopefully my backstory making skills have improved a bit ;)
The basic idea is that my character is a demon called the Malachi. Conceived in violence, to do violence and to die violently. never to know love and to be killed by your son before his tenth birthday. but Archeron is different. his father Adrian was the first Malachi to fall in love. he doesn't know why, but when he saw Cherise he couldn't stop thinking about her. however, he didn't know how to show his affection, and she only pitied him. not because he was the Malachi (she didn't know this) but because he was lonely. one night his desire was so strong, that he followed her home, and attacked her. he ran off ashamed of what he had done, but it was too late. Cherise was pregnant. she would give birth to Adrians doom, and he didn't even know it. however, she was the daughter of a noble involved in the wars, and they gave her a choice- get rid of the child and stay here, or leave and never come back. she decided to get rid of it, like any sane person, but when she saw Ash, she couldnt give him up. she left that night. Ash has never known excess. he and his mother lived in extreme poverty, but even though Ash caused this, she always loved him. he was the first Malachi to know love, and to love in return. even in the circumstances, Ash lived until he was 16. it was then his powers emerged. his friend Caleb revealed himself as another demon, the Malphas, who was sent to look out for Ash. when his powers emerged, Caleb tried to train him, but nicks powers were too out of control. he was a danger to all around him- not to mention that he would be killed if anyone found out his true identity. so Ash left. he left a note for his mother, explaining everything, and left with Caleb. it was then, Ash had a brilliant idea. he would masquerade as a warlock. Caleb would be his "patron", while actually helping him to develop his powers. he would protect Ash, as anyone who killed him would gain his powers- and create a massive threat to the world. this carried on for years until Ash decided to do some good, and help the world. Caleb advised him against it, but Ash was adamant. He decided to travel to the City of Ekuepool, where he could find his purpose. But his father was looking for him...
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
OK, no worries! I should also say, for anyone interested in this sort of thing, that although I'm welcoming and tolerant of variation in "play-style" and agenda, what I'm trying to do with this campaign is to have a story that emerges from game-play. So the focus isn't on finding out about stuff the DM made up, as I'm sure many D&D games are, but rather on discovering who the player characters are through their actions.
Link to the campaign thread here (as well as up-thread in post #25) for anyone interested in reading it. You can see for yourself whether it has been at all successful in what I'm trying to do. I'll PM you a link as well.
It looks like you may still be looking for someone, so I'll throw my hat in the ring. I'm new to PbP, but it seems intuitive enough.
Name: Nicolas
Race: Human
Class: Warlock
Background: Charlatan (forgery)
Backstory: Nicolas didn't like leaving the city, but when the treasure map came across his desk, he couldn't resist. It looked easy enough. There wasn't supposed to be a couatl guarding the place. After Nicolas was defeated by the creature, it offered him a deal. The couatl was forbidden from leaving the location it guarded, but knew that its death was eminent. It needed offspring that could carry on its mission. In exchange for letting him go, Nicolas would find the couatl a mate. After a bit of shrewd negotiating, Nicolas left the place a celestial warlock on a mission ... of course, no one put a timeline on finding this mate.
Personality Traits: I lie about almost everything, even when there's no good reason to. I fall in and out of love easily, and am always pursuing someone.
Ideal: Fairness. I never target people who can't afford to lose a few coins.
Bond: I swindled and ruined a person who didn't deserve it. I seek to atone for my misdeeds but might never be able to forgive myself.
Flaw: I'm too greedy for my own good. I can't resist swindling people who are more powerful than me.
Looks like I might be a bit late but here goes!
Name: Henrik the Arm Wrestler
Race: Human (Variant if you'll allow it)
Class: Barbarian
Background: Folk Hero
Backstory: I remember a wizard. He looks old, tired... upset. I am sorry for something, but i don't remember what. He says that he too is sorry, but what's done is done. I feel an uncontrollable rage begin building inside of me. He moves quickly - A flash of light followed by nausea and dizziness.
Now I am in a field and it is a beautiful day. I remember nothing but these last moments, perhaps a small mistake in whatever magic was used to wipe my mind. This sliver of memory will haunt me day and night as i travel the countryside, looking for answers. I know that i am strong, so i use this to my advantage, building a bit of a reputation as an arm wrestling champion. One night, someone in the crowd calls me "Henrik", possibly mistaking me for some long-lost friend, and the name just sort of sticks."
Personality Traits: I don’t pay attention to the risks in a situation. Never tell me the odds.The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t do it.
Ideal: Freedom. Chains are meant to be broken, as are those who would forge them.
Bond: Something important was taken from me, and I aim to steal it back.
Flaw: If there’s a plan, I’ll forget it. If I don’t forget it, I’ll ignore it.
EDIT: I know these personality traits, flaws etc. read like a real headache for DM and party, i assure you they are only for RP purposes. I promise not to compromise group strategy for the sake of playing service to these traits.
@ArchViceroy if we are both chosen, would you like to be related some how? maybe cousins?
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
(I'm laughing over here, because the two characters you're replacing were in game cousins :P
Also at the rate we are going I may be rolling a new character with you!)
Salazar - Human Warlock of the Fiend (1) - The Lucarcian Incident
Shepherd Torrent Brallern Water Genasi Druid (1) - Ekuepool
Celeste Belle - Air Genasi Mutant Blood Hunter (1) - Old West
DM for A Waterdhavian Heist
yeah, I read your thread. hmmmmm. one of us should get the healer feat. it really helps in gritty realism
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
Heya. I'm really invested in what you have going here. I am an experienced player, and can post flexibly. So in case you're looking for another character amongst your group...here's Colt!
Name: Colt (Coltalyion)
Race: Aasimar (version in the Dungeon Master's Guide)
Class: A Bard (Lore) of silver tongue and beguiling charm.
Appearance:
Colt is fair skinned, with a mess of lilac hair domesticated into a flaring ponytail. His eyes could be seen as beautiful, or disturbing: the borderlines of iris and pupil are married into one inky-black pool, constantly reflecting the stars of the astral plain. Most likely, you’ll catch this Aasimar sporting a long, tan-leather trenchcoat overtop a loose cotton tunic. Across his chest hangs a bandoleer of beautiful vials, containing various oddities (in some, clots of coloured magical smoke, while in others....pulsating organs of small, extraordinary creatures). The first thing one notices about Colt, though, is the air of confidence he carries with him. In fact, you can almost hear the silver tongue that flits behind his contagious smile.
Background: Entertainer.
Backstory:
Coltaylion (or Colt for short) knows in his heart that he spent too much of his time around mortal men. Indeed, he couldn’t help it... their love of life, their curious nature and, most of all, their music, were all fascinating to him.
Colt felt he fitted right in when humming the tune of everyday bustle, and came to accept the hardships that were an inevitability of it. It was a sense of belonging that the angel could not quite find striding along the undying halls of his celestial forbears. Maybe it was this, or perhaps it was the mortal music that he brought back with him, that prompted the gods to cast him from their ranks. Either way, he was... just too different from the rest.
Stripped of his immortality, Colt has come to resent all deities and renounce his heritage, instead finding his place (and joy) amongst session musicians in the back of rowdy taverns.
In fact, his unusual charm (along with his extraordinary musical prowess) have earned the Aasimar a good reputation in the town he has come to settle in: Eukepool.
Personality trait: For most of us, life is short. So laugh! Sing, dance, indulge in a little sin and alcohol. It won't harm you in the long run....and trust me, the gods don't care.
Bond: The people of Eukepool took me in as one of their own, with no questions asked. That is a debt I will never be able to repay....but I will do everything I must to come close to my goal, before I take my last breath.
Flaw: The gods abandoned me, so what could I possibly owe them? They are cruel shepherds, and Clerics are their sheep.
Ability Scores: 13 15 13 17 11 13
Cheers!
Hi there! I'm a Christian musician based in Canada :)
That could be cool.
And apparently not unheard of in this campaign haha
And I could totally take healer feat if I need to. The warlock patron I was gonna take has a few healing abilities already and if we make it to 3rd level, he should have spare the dying.
if you wanna PM me we could work on something?
I mean we might not Both be picked, but can't hurt to be prepared :)
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
By the way, will you choose recruits via DM or on this thread?
Hi there! I'm a Christian musician based in Canada :)
When the time comes, I'll send out a group DM. When it will be kind of depends on some things in-game that aren't exactly under my control. Thanks to everyone who has submitted characters for this round so far!
I'll throw a character in to consider too.
Name: Si
Race: Hill Dwarf
Class: Cleric (Order)
Background: Acolyte
Backstory: "Si the Demander" was rescued from a band of orc raiders by a noble family, who raised him and gave him an education in the monastery. Si does not know who his parents were, or from which clan they hail, but he has a deep sense of justice and a burning hatred for orcs.
Character sheet: https://ddb.ac/characters/29920384/qWy99c
Rhodes - Half-elf, Warlock - The Lost Dungeon of Rickness
Si the Demander - Hill Dwarf, Cleric - The Princes of the Apocalypse