For years, since the creation of man, lay the jungles of the Chultan peninsula uncharted, their secrets locked in the hearts and the minds of the natives of the land, the Chultans, and the magnificent creatures scattered all over the trees and the beaches of Chult. From the bird-like Aarkockra of Kir Sabal to the vicious Batiri goblins, the habitants of Chult known for their unique features and way of life, far different from the nobles and commoners in Waterdeep and Netherwinter.
Recently, something went off in the Jungle. The undead that always filled the jungle have become relentless recently, and attacks on the two main settlements, Port Nyanzaro and Fort Belurian, have become a commonplace. Pirates began terrorize the seaways, and armed groups of adventures disappeared in unknown circumstances. Meanwhile, stories spread about a withered, vile being, lurking in the dense of the Jungle, conspires against the last traces of humanity in Chult.
Moreover, a mysterious curse began affecting reincarnated folks, slowly feeding from their souls until nothing left but dust. The curse affect the whole world of the Forgotten Realms, but clearly originated from the undead teeming land of Chult. While the curse already taken many lives, a group a adventures set off in a mission to Chult. Some came for the curse, some came for personal reasons, but all of them set, unknowingly, to an adventure that going to change their lives. Welcome to Chult, folks.
So, welcome to Tomb of Annihilation! enough said about the adventure, and I will only add that 5 1st level characters are required to this game, with backstories originated in Forgotten Realms. Besides that, every character needs also a reason to go to the remote peninsula. If you find yourselves challenged with questions about your characters, the adventure or anything else, I'm here to help!
Let the game begin.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Kotidar - Human(Variant) Fighter 1 - Ravinca in Session Thammita - Half-Orc Barbarian(Path of the berserker) 3 - Into the Fire
Naru Ahele and his chicken hawk familiar, Tika, have found themselves in Chult. A merchant convoy hired him on as a deterrent in case of pirates. This seemed to be as far from his early life south of Luskan he could immediately find. The jungles of Chult are talked about across the realm as full of mystery. What better place to start a life of exploration?
Backstory: Shardul was abandoned at birth. He has no idea who his parents are, but he was raised by the Tribe of the Tiger, a group of Reghedmen Barbarians. As an outsider, as well as a half-Orc among humans, Shar was looked on as different. Despite this, Shar proved himself as a powerful fighter and kept his tribe safe. When his best friend, Erik, came down with the curse, Shar left his tribe to seek a way to break this foul magic.
About me: Hey everyone, I’m Zak! I go by He/him pronouns. I’ve played D&D for about 4 years now, with experience in both tabletop and PbP games. I have DM’ed on occasion for one-shots, but I prefer playing.
Character: Salome Ravensong is a a ranger strongly dedicated to healing and herbalism... (I used Point buy) - Character Sheet Species: Human Female Class: Ranger (specialised In Forest/Jungle), going for Drakewarden Background: Hermit (Herborist’s Tools) Short backstory description (happy to tweak if needed):
Salome is the last one of a family of four kids, living on the outskirt of Sammaresh and has always been one with the Nature. Since a young age, she used to run in the Mhair Jungles for hours - to the despair of her parents whom were scared of owlbears and packs of wolves. But with the years, her love for the nature didn't fade and she befriended Istha, the shaman of the village, who taught her everything about the healing properties of the plants.
A few years ago, while looking for fresh herbs, she encountered a wounded Amethyst Dragon Wyrmling and managed to stabilise and heal her. The dragon, thankful for her benefactor, gave Salome a marvellous small purple crystal. “I see a strong destiny in you, young human, a bright future. Take this crystal and look for Artus Cimber on the island of Chult. They will tell you more about this gift and where your fate will lead you”
She placed the crystal inside a small pendant that never leave her neck but always wondered what the dragon meant by “a bright future”. After years of hard work, she has now gathered enough money to make the travel to the island of Chult. What mysteries are waiting for her ?
Me: 40+, he/him, dad, played for years in PbP as well a tabletop. DM’ed also.
Welcome Y'all. You're characters look really good. You can call me Ur (my real name actually, I'm not speaking English as my mother-tongue). I've been playing DnD since 2015, and the book Tomb of Annihilation was the first book that realy got me into DnD, and still my fevorite adventure path.
To Grimmir, I think "Artus Cimber" is best suited as the character that Salome is looking for.
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Kotidar - Human(Variant) Fighter 1 - Ravinca in Session Thammita - Half-Orc Barbarian(Path of the berserker) 3 - Into the Fire
Portrait: No idea why I can never seem to include them in my post, but here's a link to the Imgur: https://imgur.com/gallery/KyXbmzw
Character Name: Donnyl Coldcloak Race/Class: Lightfoot Halfling Sorcerer (Male)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Background: Sailor
Backstory (hidden):
I was born the fourth of eight siblings born to a pair of ne’er-do-well parents who lived in a small province south of Daggerford.
At an early age my older siblings were sent out into the field by my parents to pan-handle, pick pockets, and run various other low-level scams. While I was too young to participate in this chicanery, their actions fundamentally altered the course of my life.
At the age of three, my parents scammed the wrong noble. They were apprehended, along with all of my “working” siblings. As a part of a settlement agreement, all of us children were “voluntarily” placed under the “guardianship” of a half-elven Lord named Molarai Heath at his country estate near the coast, Summerspeak. There, we were raised and trained as foot servants to Lord Heath and his wife, Lady Drea.
We lived a modest lifestyle as well positioned attendants inside a mansion and we were treated fairly. However, my elder siblings struggled to adapt to their change of circumstances. The eldest two brothers ran away. The others ran afoul of the law and were sent off to a juvenile work camp. I, however, took on the de facto eldest sibling role to my younger brothers and sisters. I developed a few close friends and lived a relatively ordinary childhood under the circumstances. I took well to my position and would have been happy to remain in that station for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
One day, my younger sister and I were granted the privilege of accompanying Lady Drea on an ocean voyage to the Moonshae Isles as a part of her entourage. It was the most thrilling moment of my life to date until it turned tragic. While traveling across the open sea, our ship, The Wyrm’s Wing, was ambushed by a school of sea spawn that scaled the ship and decimated the crew. To what purpose, I’ll never know… though, in the time since, I’ve come to suspect they were sent in search of something Lady Drea brought with her aboard the ship.
At the time, the only thought in my head was that of survival. The moment I saw the horrifying image of these creatures climbing the hull of the ship, I immediately abandoned my post in sear for my youngest sister, Tess. I dodged a number of vicious sea spawn in my mad search for my sister, but one of the wretched things managed to stab me in the leg with a poison quill. I was quickly losing consciousness when I finally located my sister, about to fall prey to one of the monstrosities.
Suddenly, something rose up in me that I’d never experienced before. An arcane force bubbled through my veins with an intensity that was impossible to contain. It was a force I could neither understand nor control but I allowed it to flow through me and blast the wretched thing with a chaotic bolt of arcane energy. My last memories were the smell of salt air mixed with burned piscine flesh and crackling ozone as I leaned over my little sister and tried to breathe life back into her.
I awoke some time later, clinging to life aboard a piece of ship’s flotsam, sun baked, emaciated and dying of thirst. By the luck of the Gods, I was found by a passing vessel. Unfortunately, that vessel turned out to be crewed by pirates, led by a temperamental human madman named Captain Alistair Kreeg.
I was press-ganged into service aboard Kreeg’s ship, Beshaba’s Blessing. The work was torture and my future seemed bleak until I made friends with a young apprentice-level elven wizard named Borthus, who was also bound to servitude. When he heard my story, he helped me understand the nature of my sorcerous power. He even helped me trial-and-error my way through learning my basic cantrips.
It took a great deal of cunning for us to hide my abilities. However, by doing so, we managed to develop a plan to escape at one of our port landings. It was close going, and we were nearly caught, but we succeeded in creating enough of a distraction the crew’s favorite watering hole to allow us time to bolt.
Our victory was sweet, but the joy was short lived. Alone, together, in Caer Callidyrr, Borthus and I soon realized we were not destined to travel the same path. Unable to bare each other's company due to the trauma, we parted ways, intending to never speak again.
I earned my way back to the continent by proffering my newfound abilities as a magical aide aboard three separate merchant ships over the course of three long years. This time was relatively uneventful other than giving me a more rounded knowledge of sea voyaging and the fine-tuning of my sorcerous abilities into a reliable set of skills and spells. I might have continued in this regard had I not crossed paths a second time with my old friend Borthus. In the time since our parting, he had made good for himself as a high seas adventurer. He’d even formed his own crew by liberating the pirate ship that once enslaved us.
Now, at 33 years of age, I saw myself at a crossroads. I could use my magical abilities and begin a life as an adventurer like Borthus… or I could seek out a return to my mundane roots. There was only one place I could go to find answers… home.
I returned to Summerspeak Estate a changed man, looking to see what remained of the life I had lost. Indeed, little remained. After the death of Lady Drea, Lord Heath fell to despair. With no heir to maintain the family line and authoirty, Lord Heath’s estate fell to regional irrelevance. The staff dwindled to but a few. However… among them, I was shocked to find my little sister, Tess.
Tess survived the voyage along with a few other crew members and servants. Together, they returned and carried home the tale of Lady Drea’s demise. In the years since, Tess became an indispensable part of the estate. She was prized not only for her skills a skilled leader and organizer, but also as a source of comfort, joy and inspiration to the beleaguered community. Our reunion was the happiest moment of my life. We ate and drank long into the evening with laughter and tears and tales of all we had done.
I explained to her the crossroads my life was at. She listened thoughtfully but didn’t hesitate in her suggestion that I use my gifts to aid those in need. She presented herself as living proof that the goodness of my work could ripple out into the world in ways I might never know. And if I were to one day earn the wealth and prestige of my old friend Borthus, all the better! How many more could I help then!
Her words confirmed what I already knew. I had a destiny to seek out. I embrace my duality as a mild-mannered individual who exists as a vessel for a chaotic magical force beyond my understanding. With that, I said my farewells to Tess and my old friends. I took their advice and set my feet towards the coast where I hoped to serve on a craft headed directly toward adventure. And that's how I found myself aboard a vessel bringing adventurers to the peninsula.
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DM - Classic Adventures Reborn
Rylan - L1 Human Paladin - Barty's "Princes of the Apocalypse"
Point buy (or standard array) for ability scores. The character should be created from official sources of WoC, Unearthed Arcana content is not allowed (excluding the variant, non-caster Ranger).
In the 1st level, you take maximum amount for hit points, and rolling hit points fron the 2nd level and on - rerolling 1.
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Kotidar - Human(Variant) Fighter 1 - Ravinca in Session Thammita - Half-Orc Barbarian(Path of the berserker) 3 - Into the Fire
Backstory: Sir Batrin Russel Firebrand (please, just call him Firebrand... he hates being called by his full title) came from a proud and highly respected family of knights, defenders of the innocent and slayers of evil. He spent his youth learning the art of war and studying the teachings of the great dragon god Bahamut, preparing for the day when he would take a sacred oath like his ancestors.
Now, that day is almost upon him, but he has been given one final test. He has been sent to the distant peninsula of Chult to discover and, if at all possible, eliminate, the source of the mysterious curse afflicting this unfortunate land.
Love the backstory. Why you got 14 hit points in your character sheet? it should be 8...
That is strange. I'm not sure. Created this guy a while ago. I'll change it now. Looks like I also originally rolled ability scores, so I'll adjust that too.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM - Classic Adventures Reborn
Rylan - L1 Human Paladin - Barty's "Princes of the Apocalypse"
Point buy (or standard array) for ability scores. The character should be created from official sources of WoC, Unearthed Arcana content is not allowed (excluding the variant, non-caster Ranger).
In the 1st level, you take maximum amount for hit points, and rolling hit points fron the 2nd level and on - rerolling 1.
Did not know that Point Buy was allowed, and so I’ve updated Shardul’s scores.
Point buy (or standard array) for ability scores. The character should be created from official sources of WoC, Unearthed Arcana content is not allowed (excluding the variant, non-caster Ranger).
In the 1st level, you take maximum amount for hit points, and rolling hit points fron the 2nd level and on - rerolling 1.
Are all books usable? I ask because I'm looking at options such as a Giff (or other exotic) big game hunter and while Giff are canon to the Forgotten Realms, albeit extremely rare, there is also the question on whether firearms are a things.
I'm still cobbling together a character sheet so everything is still in flux.
I have an idea of creating a character associated with Grimnir's character, if that's OK. I don't want to do it if Grimnir or the DM aren't in favor.
Character: "Dolphy" (I also used Point buy) - https://ddb.ac/characters/99029760/n4xOjJ Race: Human Male Class: Druid - will be Moon Background: A modified Outlander - replaced language with 2nd tool Short backstory option #1: Dolphy is the son of Istha, the shaman of Sammaresh. Istha has admitted to no one who Dolphy's father is, and no one really cares. From an early age, it was apparent that Dolphy was not like other children. While he excelled in relating to animals and nature, he didn't seem to understand other things he should have. What he lacked in "smarts", he made up for in size. He was always big for his age, and he is now a big man. The people of Sammaresh are friendly toward, but mainly avoid Dolphy. Despite his fairly likable personality and demeanor, he is the son of the shaman, and therefore mysterious in his own right. That mystery is only accentuated by, when Dolphy's emotions are heightened, unexplained (magical) things happen. One of Istha's favorite activities to do with her young son was to take him to the Dolphingulf and sometimes swim with the dolphins, which Dolphy pronounced "dolphy". He wasn't very old when he insisted his mother call him Dolphy, and the name stuck. Dolphy continued to live with his mother and to help her with her shaman duties, even after he was well beyond the age of marrying. When Dolphy was in his 30s, the young Salome Ravensong began visiting Istha and learning some of her craft. Dolphy immediately fell in love with Salome; he likes to look at her and would kill anyone who tries to hurt her. Salome was aware of Dolphy, and was nice to him, but she paid him little attention. The big man watched her from a distance, too shy to say more than a few words at a time to her. Only his mother is aware of his feelings. When Dolphy heard that Salome was leaving Sammaresh, he impulsively followed her to the port. While she was able to buy passage on a ship, he was able to secure a job.
Short backstory option #2: Dolphy Ravensong is the oldest of the Ravensong siblings. From an early age, it was apparent that Dolphy was not like other children. While he excelled in relating to animals and nature, he didn't seem to understand other things he should have. What he lacked in "smarts", he made up for in size. He was always big for his age, and he is now a big man. Dolphy was always jealous of his younger siblings who were permitted to do things he wasn't. It was always his job to watch the house and work the farm. But occasionally the family would take a trip to the Dolphingulf. Dolphy loved dolphins. When he was very young, Dolphy pronounced dolphin "dolphy". He wasn't very old when he insisted he be called Dolphy, and the name stuck. As Dolphy's middle two siblings grew up, moved out of the house, and started their own families, Dolphy continued to live with his parents and youngest sibling, Salome. He didn't feel like he was missing out. He liked his parents and Salome. Salome had been his favorite sibling. She also loved nature. He did worry about her running off and spending time in the jungle alone. Occasionally, she would take him with her, and those times were the best, but she did that very seldom. Dolphy tries very hard to not get too upset or too excited. When he does, sometimes things happen, and he doesn't know why. One time, the grass at the feet of their stubborn mule caught fire when there wasn't a match in sight. One time, flowers grew out of his mother's hair after she made him his favorite supper. Salome says he was doing magic, but Dolphy doesn't believe her. When Salome told Dolphy she was going away on a boat, it made Dolphy very sad, and he decided he was going to go with her. While she was able to buy passage on a ship, he was able to secure a job.
OOC: Here is the problem: How would Salome react when she discovers Dolphy on the ship in either situation? Again, if either of you don't like the idea of there being a connection, I can come up with a separate backstory.
I'd love another crack at ToA after my last PbP attempt dissolved. I played a Harengon Genie Warlock in that one, but I'd like to put forward an ecclesiastical ranger here.
DirtyDogP and PolarBearSoup, I'm sorry, but it seems like the party is already full. If one of the players will forfeit, I'll dm you first.
To conclude, our characters are: Naru Ahele, a human wizard Shardul, a half orc barbarian Salome Ravensong, a human ranger Donnyl Coldcloak, a lightfoot halfling storm sorcerer Sir Batrin Russel Firebrand, a red dragonborn paladin
Welcome to the adventure! We will kick of hopefully tomorrow. Goodluck!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Kotidar - Human(Variant) Fighter 1 - Ravinca in Session Thammita - Half-Orc Barbarian(Path of the berserker) 3 - Into the Fire
For years, since the creation of man, lay the jungles of the Chultan peninsula uncharted, their secrets locked in the hearts and the minds of the natives of the land, the Chultans, and the magnificent creatures scattered all over the trees and the beaches of Chult. From the bird-like Aarkockra of Kir Sabal to the vicious Batiri goblins, the habitants of Chult known for their unique features and way of life, far different from the nobles and commoners in Waterdeep and Netherwinter.
Recently, something went off in the Jungle. The undead that always filled the jungle have become relentless recently, and attacks on the two main settlements, Port Nyanzaro and Fort Belurian, have become a commonplace. Pirates began terrorize the seaways, and armed groups of adventures disappeared in unknown circumstances. Meanwhile, stories spread about a withered, vile being, lurking in the dense of the Jungle, conspires against the last traces of humanity in Chult.
Moreover, a mysterious curse began affecting reincarnated folks, slowly feeding from their souls until nothing left but dust. The curse affect the whole world of the Forgotten Realms, but clearly originated from the undead teeming land of Chult. While the curse already taken many lives, a group a adventures set off in a mission to Chult. Some came for the curse, some came for personal reasons, but all of them set, unknowingly, to an adventure that going to change their lives. Welcome to Chult, folks.
So, welcome to Tomb of Annihilation! enough said about the adventure, and I will only add that 5 1st level characters are required to this game, with backstories originated in Forgotten Realms. Besides that, every character needs also a reason to go to the remote peninsula. If you find yourselves challenged with questions about your characters, the adventure or anything else, I'm here to help!
Let the game begin.
Kotidar - Human(Variant) Fighter 1 - Ravinca in Session
Thammita - Half-Orc Barbarian(Path of the berserker) 3 - Into the Fire
Naru Ahele and his chicken hawk familiar, Tika, have found themselves in Chult. A merchant convoy hired him on as a deterrent in case of pirates. This seemed to be as far from his early life south of Luskan he could immediately find. The jungles of Chult are talked about across the realm as full of mystery. What better place to start a life of exploration?
https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/100616996
ME: 50+ he/him dad. Mostly DM’d in the past. Have not played in a while. v3.5 was last experience.
Name: Shardul
Race: Half-Orc
Class: Barbarian
Background: Outlander
Backstory: Shardul was abandoned at birth. He has no idea who his parents are, but he was raised by the Tribe of the Tiger, a group of Reghedmen Barbarians. As an outsider, as well as a half-Orc among humans, Shar was looked on as different. Despite this, Shar proved himself as a powerful fighter and kept his tribe safe. When his best friend, Erik, came down with the curse, Shar left his tribe to seek a way to break this foul magic.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/100740206
About me: Hey everyone, I’m Zak! I go by He/him pronouns. I’ve played D&D for about 4 years now, with experience in both tabletop and PbP games. I have DM’ed on occasion for one-shots, but I prefer playing.
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[A]
Hi there,
I'm in for this adventure ! Here's my character:
Character: Salome Ravensong is a a ranger strongly dedicated to healing and herbalism... (I used Point buy) - Character Sheet
Species: Human Female
Class: Ranger (specialised In Forest/Jungle), going for Drakewarden
Background: Hermit (Herborist’s Tools)
Short backstory description (happy to tweak if needed):
Salome is the last one of a family of four kids, living on the outskirt of Sammaresh and has always been one with the Nature. Since a young age, she used to run in the Mhair Jungles for hours - to the despair of her parents whom were scared of owlbears and packs of wolves. But with the years, her love for the nature didn't fade and she befriended Istha, the shaman of the village, who taught her everything about the healing properties of the plants.
A few years ago, while looking for fresh herbs, she encountered a wounded Amethyst Dragon Wyrmling and managed to stabilise and heal her. The dragon, thankful for her benefactor, gave Salome a marvellous small purple crystal. “I see a strong destiny in you, young human, a bright future. Take this crystal and look for Artus Cimber on the island of Chult. They will tell you more about this gift and where your fate will lead you”
She placed the crystal inside a small pendant that never leave her neck but always wondered what the dragon meant by “a bright future”. After years of hard work, she has now gathered enough money to make the travel to the island of Chult. What mysteries are waiting for her ?
Me: 40+, he/him, dad, played for years in PbP as well a tabletop. DM’ed also.
Currently Playing: Regdus Ironfist (Greyhawk) Lvl 1 Storm Sorcerer ; Goraseth Drerjoxian (Icespeak) Lvl 3 Paladin Oath of Glory; Lerak (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight) Lvl 3 Barbarian Wild Magic
In Pause: Grimnir " Shadow-Feet", Lv 11 Owner of "The Basilisk & the Monk" (OotA) - Kurma Kappa, Lv 8 Priest of Oghma (ToA)
Currently DM'ing: Princes of Apocalypse >> Tomb of Annihilation
Welcome Y'all. You're characters look really good. You can call me Ur (my real name actually, I'm not speaking English as my mother-tongue). I've been playing DnD since 2015, and the book Tomb of Annihilation was the first book that realy got me into DnD, and still my fevorite adventure path.
To Grimmir, I think "Artus Cimber" is best suited as the character that Salome is looking for.
Kotidar - Human(Variant) Fighter 1 - Ravinca in Session
Thammita - Half-Orc Barbarian(Path of the berserker) 3 - Into the Fire
Noted and edited :) Sounds like a good start of a team !
Currently Playing: Regdus Ironfist (Greyhawk) Lvl 1 Storm Sorcerer ; Goraseth Drerjoxian (Icespeak) Lvl 3 Paladin Oath of Glory; Lerak (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight) Lvl 3 Barbarian Wild Magic
In Pause: Grimnir " Shadow-Feet", Lv 11 Owner of "The Basilisk & the Monk" (OotA) - Kurma Kappa, Lv 8 Priest of Oghma (ToA)
Currently DM'ing: Princes of Apocalypse >> Tomb of Annihilation
Link: https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/96138013
Portrait: No idea why I can never seem to include them in my post, but here's a link to the Imgur: https://imgur.com/gallery/KyXbmzw
Character Name: Donnyl Coldcloak
Race/Class: Lightfoot Halfling Sorcerer (Male)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Background: Sailor
Backstory (hidden):
I was born the fourth of eight siblings born to a pair of ne’er-do-well parents who lived in a small province south of Daggerford.
At an early age my older siblings were sent out into the field by my parents to pan-handle, pick pockets, and run various other low-level scams. While I was too young to participate in this chicanery, their actions fundamentally altered the course of my life.
At the age of three, my parents scammed the wrong noble. They were apprehended, along with all of my “working” siblings. As a part of a settlement agreement, all of us children were “voluntarily” placed under the “guardianship” of a half-elven Lord named Molarai Heath at his country estate near the coast, Summerspeak. There, we were raised and trained as foot servants to Lord Heath and his wife, Lady Drea.
We lived a modest lifestyle as well positioned attendants inside a mansion and we were treated fairly. However, my elder siblings struggled to adapt to their change of circumstances. The eldest two brothers ran away. The others ran afoul of the law and were sent off to a juvenile work camp. I, however, took on the de facto eldest sibling role to my younger brothers and sisters. I developed a few close friends and lived a relatively ordinary childhood under the circumstances. I took well to my position and would have been happy to remain in that station for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
One day, my younger sister and I were granted the privilege of accompanying Lady Drea on an ocean voyage to the Moonshae Isles as a part of her entourage. It was the most thrilling moment of my life to date until it turned tragic. While traveling across the open sea, our ship, The Wyrm’s Wing, was ambushed by a school of sea spawn that scaled the ship and decimated the crew. To what purpose, I’ll never know… though, in the time since, I’ve come to suspect they were sent in search of something Lady Drea brought with her aboard the ship.
At the time, the only thought in my head was that of survival. The moment I saw the horrifying image of these creatures climbing the hull of the ship, I immediately abandoned my post in sear for my youngest sister, Tess. I dodged a number of vicious sea spawn in my mad search for my sister, but one of the wretched things managed to stab me in the leg with a poison quill. I was quickly losing consciousness when I finally located my sister, about to fall prey to one of the monstrosities.
Suddenly, something rose up in me that I’d never experienced before. An arcane force bubbled through my veins with an intensity that was impossible to contain. It was a force I could neither understand nor control but I allowed it to flow through me and blast the wretched thing with a chaotic bolt of arcane energy. My last memories were the smell of salt air mixed with burned piscine flesh and crackling ozone as I leaned over my little sister and tried to breathe life back into her.
I awoke some time later, clinging to life aboard a piece of ship’s flotsam, sun baked, emaciated and dying of thirst. By the luck of the Gods, I was found by a passing vessel. Unfortunately, that vessel turned out to be crewed by pirates, led by a temperamental human madman named Captain Alistair Kreeg.
I was press-ganged into service aboard Kreeg’s ship, Beshaba’s Blessing. The work was torture and my future seemed bleak until I made friends with a young apprentice-level elven wizard named Borthus, who was also bound to servitude. When he heard my story, he helped me understand the nature of my sorcerous power. He even helped me trial-and-error my way through learning my basic cantrips.
It took a great deal of cunning for us to hide my abilities. However, by doing so, we managed to develop a plan to escape at one of our port landings. It was close going, and we were nearly caught, but we succeeded in creating enough of a distraction the crew’s favorite watering hole to allow us time to bolt.
Our victory was sweet, but the joy was short lived. Alone, together, in Caer Callidyrr, Borthus and I soon realized we were not destined to travel the same path. Unable to bare each other's company due to the trauma, we parted ways, intending to never speak again.
I earned my way back to the continent by proffering my newfound abilities as a magical aide aboard three separate merchant ships over the course of three long years. This time was relatively uneventful other than giving me a more rounded knowledge of sea voyaging and the fine-tuning of my sorcerous abilities into a reliable set of skills and spells. I might have continued in this regard had I not crossed paths a second time with my old friend Borthus. In the time since our parting, he had made good for himself as a high seas adventurer. He’d even formed his own crew by liberating the pirate ship that once enslaved us.
Now, at 33 years of age, I saw myself at a crossroads. I could use my magical abilities and begin a life as an adventurer like Borthus… or I could seek out a return to my mundane roots. There was only one place I could go to find answers… home.
I returned to Summerspeak Estate a changed man, looking to see what remained of the life I had lost. Indeed, little remained. After the death of Lady Drea, Lord Heath fell to despair. With no heir to maintain the family line and authoirty, Lord Heath’s estate fell to regional irrelevance. The staff dwindled to but a few. However… among them, I was shocked to find my little sister, Tess.
Tess survived the voyage along with a few other crew members and servants. Together, they returned and carried home the tale of Lady Drea’s demise. In the years since, Tess became an indispensable part of the estate. She was prized not only for her skills a skilled leader and organizer, but also as a source of comfort, joy and inspiration to the beleaguered community. Our reunion was the happiest moment of my life. We ate and drank long into the evening with laughter and tears and tales of all we had done.
I explained to her the crossroads my life was at. She listened thoughtfully but didn’t hesitate in her suggestion that I use my gifts to aid those in need. She presented herself as living proof that the goodness of my work could ripple out into the world in ways I might never know. And if I were to one day earn the wealth and prestige of my old friend Borthus, all the better! How many more could I help then!
Her words confirmed what I already knew. I had a destiny to seek out. I embrace my duality as a mild-mannered individual who exists as a vessel for a chaotic magical force beyond my understanding. With that, I said my farewells to Tess and my old friends. I took their advice and set my feet towards the coast where I hoped to serve on a craft headed directly toward adventure. And that's how I found myself aboard a vessel bringing adventurers to the peninsula.
DM - Classic Adventures Reborn
Rylan - L1 Human Paladin - Barty's "Princes of the Apocalypse"
Love the backstory. Why you got 14 hit points in your character sheet? it should be 8...
Kotidar - Human(Variant) Fighter 1 - Ravinca in Session
Thammita - Half-Orc Barbarian(Path of the berserker) 3 - Into the Fire
Any limitations on character creation?
Point buy, standard array or roll for stats?
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Tyrgram, the Butterfly Knight: Dwarf Warlock - Secret of Greenwold
Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure
Valerius Sergius Publius: Dhampir Paladin - Vae Victus
Point buy (or standard array) for ability scores. The character should be created from official sources of WoC, Unearthed Arcana content is not allowed (excluding the variant, non-caster Ranger).
In the 1st level, you take maximum amount for hit points, and rolling hit points fron the 2nd level and on - rerolling 1.
Kotidar - Human(Variant) Fighter 1 - Ravinca in Session
Thammita - Half-Orc Barbarian(Path of the berserker) 3 - Into the Fire
Name: Sir Batrin Russel Firebrand
Alignment: Lawful Good
Race: Dragonborn
Class: Paladin
Background: Noble
Backstory: Sir Batrin Russel Firebrand (please, just call him Firebrand... he hates being called by his full title) came from a proud and highly respected family of knights, defenders of the innocent and slayers of evil. He spent his youth learning the art of war and studying the teachings of the great dragon god Bahamut, preparing for the day when he would take a sacred oath like his ancestors.
Now, that day is almost upon him, but he has been given one final test. He has been sent to the distant peninsula of Chult to discover and, if at all possible, eliminate, the source of the mysterious curse afflicting this unfortunate land.
Character link: https://ddb.ac/characters/100753033/0pm9s6
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Provide feedback!
That is strange. I'm not sure. Created this guy a while ago. I'll change it now. Looks like I also originally rolled ability scores, so I'll adjust that too.
DM - Classic Adventures Reborn
Rylan - L1 Human Paladin - Barty's "Princes of the Apocalypse"
Did not know that Point Buy was allowed, and so I’ve updated Shardul’s scores.
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[A]
Are all books usable? I ask because I'm looking at options such as a Giff (or other exotic) big game hunter and while Giff are canon to the Forgotten Realms, albeit extremely rare, there is also the question on whether firearms are a things.
I'm still cobbling together a character sheet so everything is still in flux.
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Tyrgram, the Butterfly Knight: Dwarf Warlock - Secret of Greenwold
Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure
Valerius Sergius Publius: Dhampir Paladin - Vae Victus
I have an idea of creating a character associated with Grimnir's character, if that's OK. I don't want to do it if Grimnir or the DM aren't in favor.
Character: "Dolphy" (I also used Point buy) - https://ddb.ac/characters/99029760/n4xOjJ
Race: Human Male
Class: Druid - will be Moon
Background: A modified Outlander - replaced language with 2nd tool
Short backstory option #1: Dolphy is the son of Istha, the shaman of Sammaresh. Istha has admitted to no one who Dolphy's father is, and no one really cares. From an early age, it was apparent that Dolphy was not like other children. While he excelled in relating to animals and nature, he didn't seem to understand other things he should have. What he lacked in "smarts", he made up for in size. He was always big for his age, and he is now a big man. The people of Sammaresh are friendly toward, but mainly avoid Dolphy. Despite his fairly likable personality and demeanor, he is the son of the shaman, and therefore mysterious in his own right. That mystery is only accentuated by, when Dolphy's emotions are heightened, unexplained (magical) things happen.
One of Istha's favorite activities to do with her young son was to take him to the Dolphingulf and sometimes swim with the dolphins, which Dolphy pronounced "dolphy". He wasn't very old when he insisted his mother call him Dolphy, and the name stuck. Dolphy continued to live with his mother and to help her with her shaman duties, even after he was well beyond the age of marrying. When Dolphy was in his 30s, the young Salome Ravensong began visiting Istha and learning some of her craft. Dolphy immediately fell in love with Salome; he likes to look at her and would kill anyone who tries to hurt her. Salome was aware of Dolphy, and was nice to him, but she paid him little attention. The big man watched her from a distance, too shy to say more than a few words at a time to her. Only his mother is aware of his feelings.
When Dolphy heard that Salome was leaving Sammaresh, he impulsively followed her to the port. While she was able to buy passage on a ship, he was able to secure a job.
Short backstory option #2: Dolphy Ravensong is the oldest of the Ravensong siblings. From an early age, it was apparent that Dolphy was not like other children. While he excelled in relating to animals and nature, he didn't seem to understand other things he should have. What he lacked in "smarts", he made up for in size. He was always big for his age, and he is now a big man.
Dolphy was always jealous of his younger siblings who were permitted to do things he wasn't. It was always his job to watch the house and work the farm. But occasionally the family would take a trip to the Dolphingulf. Dolphy loved dolphins. When he was very young, Dolphy pronounced dolphin "dolphy". He wasn't very old when he insisted he be called Dolphy, and the name stuck.
As Dolphy's middle two siblings grew up, moved out of the house, and started their own families, Dolphy continued to live with his parents and youngest sibling, Salome. He didn't feel like he was missing out. He liked his parents and Salome. Salome had been his favorite sibling. She also loved nature. He did worry about her running off and spending time in the jungle alone. Occasionally, she would take him with her, and those times were the best, but she did that very seldom.
Dolphy tries very hard to not get too upset or too excited. When he does, sometimes things happen, and he doesn't know why. One time, the grass at the feet of their stubborn mule caught fire when there wasn't a match in sight. One time, flowers grew out of his mother's hair after she made him his favorite supper. Salome says he was doing magic, but Dolphy doesn't believe her.
When Salome told Dolphy she was going away on a boat, it made Dolphy very sad, and he decided he was going to go with her. While she was able to buy passage on a ship, he was able to secure a job.
OOC: Here is the problem: How would Salome react when she discovers Dolphy on the ship in either situation? Again, if either of you don't like the idea of there being a connection, I can come up with a separate backstory.
I'd love another crack at ToA after my last PbP attempt dissolved. I played a Harengon Genie Warlock in that one, but I'd like to put forward an ecclesiastical ranger here.
Name: Lena Dar (DDB sheet)
Class: Ranger
Race: Custom Lineage
Background: Seminarian
Backstory: (to follow)
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
Two wizards with nautical backgrounds. What are the odds….?
Name: Xandrivarius
Class: Fighter
Race: Bugbear
Background and Backstory: TBD
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Tyrgram, the Butterfly Knight: Dwarf Warlock - Secret of Greenwold
Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure
Valerius Sergius Publius: Dhampir Paladin - Vae Victus
DirtyDogP and PolarBearSoup, I'm sorry, but it seems like the party is already full. If one of the players will forfeit, I'll dm you first.
To conclude, our characters are:
Naru Ahele, a human wizard
Shardul, a half orc barbarian
Salome Ravensong, a human ranger
Donnyl Coldcloak, a lightfoot halfling storm sorcerer
Sir Batrin Russel Firebrand, a red dragonborn paladin
Welcome to the adventure! We will kick of hopefully tomorrow. Goodluck!
Kotidar - Human(Variant) Fighter 1 - Ravinca in Session
Thammita - Half-Orc Barbarian(Path of the berserker) 3 - Into the Fire
Super excited! Thanks!
DM - Classic Adventures Reborn
Rylan - L1 Human Paladin - Barty's "Princes of the Apocalypse"