We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Clearwater Academy. We expect to arrive shortly to the school's grounds where you will immediately begin your education.
Yours sincerly,
Progessor Roghan Silverstone & Professor Zelligar Gosteth
This is a campaign that starts at Clearwater Academy. Once you have finished your education, you will continue to adventure out of the school's grounds.
The campaign will have you starting at level 1 and will hopefully continue until level 20.
Optional: I do have some optional subclasses and alternative background features that can be used for this campaign if you are interested.
Rules: Please read the following rules for how this game will be played.
Character:
So, pick standard array for your abilities. You start at level 1 Levelling up will be milestones. Hp will be the average. All races are allowed; you must take Monsters of the Multiverse versions of races if found in that book. However, you can take the class options etc, found in Tasha's, and UA is allowed. You can take Feats You can Multiclass You can either take the Starting Equipment, for your class and background or Starting Wealth, for your class.
Adventuring:
Standard encumbrance rules will be used. You can craft magic items, but finding time and gold will be difficult. Equipment will be sized to its wearer The rules for Fear and Horror will be used. You will be Healer's Kit Dependent and have Slow Natural Healing You get Hero Points You can get Inspiration Rules for Mixing Potions will be used Rules for More Difficult Identification will be used You will be affected by Shadowfell Despair You will be able to use spell scrolls if does not match your class given a successful magic ability check, but risk a mishap. Sills can be rolled with different abilities.
Combat:
You can also take the optional Action Options in the DMG: Climb onto a Bigger Creature, Disarm, Mark, Overrun, Shove Aside, and Tumble. Rules for Hitting Cover will be used; this can lead to friendly fire Rules for Injuries will be used Rules for Massive Damage will be used
Please reply with the following information.
Name: Race: Class/Subclass (if not yet taken, please indicate your current choice.): Background:
Backstory (please indicate why you have received an invitation and how you will afford the tuition fees):
Note: This will be nothing like Harry Potter.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Name: Nepharios Tenebras Race: Human (Variant) Class: Wizard (Necromancer) Background: Noble Backstory: As the second son of Lord Belarios Tenebras, Nepharios' soul was destined for the Dark Lord that his vile and corrupted family struck a deal with so many generations ago. Their castle home had since then been a dark place, devoid of affection and the weakling second son of Lord Belarios had a cold and uncaring upbringing, leaving him covering up his own insecurities with what would be percieved as codescending aloofness, spending much time in the family library playing Dragonchess against his younger sister Selene and pouring through old dusty dark tomes. It was only recently that the young Nepharios, quite by accident, found out about his dark destiny in one of those dark tomes. Deeply distressed, the young noble soon began searching for a way to avoid this dark destiny, even traveling to distant libraries in his desperate hunt for a solution. In time he came to the conclusion that the only way to avoid his fate was to prolong his life, indefinitely, and so he turned to the dark arts of necromancy, devoting his life to discovering the necromantic knowledge needed to avoid final death, convincing his unknowing and uncaring father to send him away to the Clearwater Academy, accompanied only by his loyal unto death raven familiar Mortio. There he intends to one day master the dark arts, joining any endeavour and pay any price to find the his way to immortality.
Name: Aslan Firebrand Race: Human Variant Class/Subclass: Fighter [Battlemaster] Background:
"Off to fight in the pit again?" said William Turly of the Firebrand.
Third son of the prestigious Firebrand family, Aslan could never recall a time when his family seemed to care about him, at least not in the way they cared about their heir - Daran, just over 3 years older than Aslan.
What he lacked in discipline and manner, Aslan compensated for through his quick wit and lightning-fast reactions with the sword. As the third son, his chances of ever taking the reins of the family after his father Turly were rather quite frankly non-existent. Left alone in his own world, he set upon the goal of becoming a strong and renowned sell-sword, one day hoping to find a suitable house and eventually seek knighthood. But there was just one issue - Turly Firebrand would never hire professional teachers for his third son. The man had little love for fighting, and even less for mercenaries.
Thus the remaining option for Aslan was to seek out the experience himself. Stumbling upon the local 'fighting pit', as it was called, he managed to uncover a world of possibility, where his goals might yet just be within his grasp. The pit was organized enough and the rules seemed simple: show up and fight. Put on a good show, and you might even become popular within the community of lowly boys and peasants.
Heavily advised to ignore the pit, Aslan rebelled against his father's wishes and spent two good years of his life fighting, throwing the boys into the dirt, shoving the wooden swords against their necks. It was within the pit that Aslan was discovered by one of the members of Clearwater Academy. His quick reflexes and fighting spirit immediately caught the attention of the unusual spectator.
Within weeks, he found the letter upon his desk - the golden opportunity he's been waiting for. By this point, his father Turly would give anything to get rid of Aslan, believing that sending him off somewhere would probably do both of them good. Thus, Turly put his great wealth to use and accepted to pay off his tuition if only he promised to behave and graduate properly.
Aslan awaits his new life at the academy and the opportunities it might bring with it, even more determined to achieve his knighthood.
Backstory: Jinx was orphaned from a young age. She might've died alone in the Underdark if a master thief, Lucky Granitefist, hadn't taken her and a band of other orphans under his wing. In exchange for a place to stay and his mentorship, Jinx and the other children helped Lucky carry out his schemes and heists, crawling into places only they could fit, spying or eavesdropping, playing the innocent bait for a mark. It wasn't until Jinx was older that she began to dream of a more exciting life. When she learned that the Clearwater Academy was accepting applicants, she leapt at the chance to apply.
One of the older orphans, Rina, who was like an older sister to the young gnome, helped Jinx with her application since Jinx is barely literate. In her application, she emphasized her skills at spycraft, investigation, and digging up secrets. This was apparently intriguing enough to the Headmaster of the Academy that he decided to offer Jinx a place. The only problem would be affording tuition, but Lucky had an idea. They would send Jinx off with one last heist, the biggest they'd ever performed, burgling the estate of a wealthy baron, Lord Featherstone, and selling off his priceless collection of ancient dwarven statuettes. The heist was a huge success, but Lord Featherstone was more resourceful than anyone realized, and he quickly identified the culprits behind the burglary. While Lucky and the others had to go into hiding to avoid the angry baron's retribution, Jinx barely escaped with her life to Clearwater Academy...
Sylvie's life has always been around water. She was young when she and her older sister were sent to live with her uncle in a small fishing village. Many of the girl's early memories were on her Uncle Tim's fishing boat, the widower unwilling to leave them in his meager home alone. Eventually her sister stopped going out, having gotten an apprenticeship with a local weaver. Sylvie kept with the fisher life, but couldn't contain her curiosity about the world.
When she was 18, she left home to become a sailor proper. She hoped to join a crew aboard a merchant's vessel, and try to strike it rich there or even better, by finding treasure. And once she had money, she could go to school.. That was not how things went. Sylvie joined a ragtag crew aboard the "Brilliant Breeze", a boat chartered mostly for ferrying. While she enjoyed her new life, three years went by without her getting much richer. It was disheartening to say the least. Things started to change however, when the Captain agreed to ferry a scholar, along with artifacts they recently unearthed, back to their home.
The journey was unlucky from the start. Rough weather battered the ship and crew for most of their journey. When they were two days from port - nearly a week overdue because of the rough waters steering them off course - they were attacked by pirates. With some of the ship already damaged, they hardly put up a fight. As Sylvie tried to help the scholar to a lifeboat, they were knocked off board. What should have been her end turned into an opportunity. A voice offered to help her to shore, in return for entertainment; the voice wanted new experiences and dangers. Without much of a thought, Sylvie agreed.
She awoke on a shore north of the Port, wearing a pearl and shell bracelet. She scavenged what she could from the wreckage, finding some of the cargo they had been entrusted with. Word of what happened spread as she recovered in the Port, and it wasn't long before she was approached by one of the scholar's associates. In return for what she had salvaged, he promised to put a good word I for her at Clearwater Academy, and cover tuition if she was accepted. She stayed with the man, Mall're, for a few weeks, acting as an assistant before her invitation letter arrived.
With excitement she prepared to go to the academy, and see what awaited her there.
Name: Crayliss Malrayne Race: High Elf Class/Subclass (if not yet taken, please indicate your current choice.): Artificer - Battle Smith Background: Quandrix Student
Backstory (please indicate why you have received an invitation and how you will afford the tuition fees):
Crayliss is the youngest son of well to do High Elven parents. His mother is a dignitary, an ambassador who spends the majority of time on foreign soil. His father is a high ranking soldier. He is the youngest of 4 children, but after raising so many children, neither parent were willing to give up on their career for Crayliss. He therefore spent his formative years away from home with his mother, the majority of which being spent among gnomes. From them he got the love of all things technological, which only compounded the issues with his parents, who disliked this eccentricity. His siblings were far more traditional than he.
For this reason, whilst his mother is engaged in her ambassadorial duties, he is always sent to an educational establishment. His experiments have been somewhat hit and miss in the past, one of which causing him to be relocated to Clearwater Academy.
Race: Wood Elf Class/Subclass (if not yet taken, please indicate your current choice.): Druid Background: Miawynn grew up thanks to the forest creatures. Her early memories include a mother and father figure but have since been lost to a haze. Unsure of what happened to her parents and with no real memories to tie her to them except a glowing blue necklace. With the help of her closest friend, a squirrel named as Ewock, she is encouraged to leave the forest. However, her lack of interactions with others makes her fearful, shy, and uncomfortable around others.
As she began her stroll through the her first town, hiding between buildings, she watched as creatures of all kinds interacted together. She saw kids her age practicing fighting with wood swords, spells being casted, and caring parents who would bring them home as the daylight disappeared. With little in her backpack to get her by, Miawynn would find scrapes of food wherever she could often sharing with Ewock. As she struggled to provide for herself she ran across Professor Zelligar Gosteth. "Excuse me, shouldn't you be in school young lady?" said Professor Zelligar Gosteth. "School?" replied Miawynn. "You've never heard of school?" "Only whispers of it as voices would make there way through the forest". "That's it you're coming with me". So began Miawynn's adventure at Clearwater Academy. Acutely aware that her stay may be short if she got into to much trouble or didn't excel in her classes, all that faith that Professor Zelligar has in her would be for nothing...
Dorian wasn’t wealthy, or famous or particularly talented in anything. But what he lacked in those department, he made up with it with ambition.
In the early years of his life, Dorian worked various jobs in a tavern to get a meager salary to get by. He met all sorts of people, rich and poor, upstanding…and others less so. But he had a dream. He wanted to be able to do magic, study it, and practice it. But sadly, he was born a nobody, and no one wanted to give him a chance.
Until one night, when he was waiting on the tables at the inn, a strange gentleman asked him if he wanted more out of life. He told him about his dream and his ambition, but also that didn’t think he could do it alone. The gentleman made him an offer: he’d help him get what he wanted, but he would come back one day and require that he complete a task for him. Dorian didn’t really think anything of it. Empty promises from a weird creep.
The next day, he felt…different. He suddenly felt newfound powers flow through him. He then received a letter from Clearwater Academy, mentioning that a patron had given a sizable donation to the school to cover for all of his tuition there. Dorian then packed his bags and made his way to Clearwater, to begin his new life.
Backstory: Anton was the middle child of a successful, upstanding member of the Guild of Alchemists and Apothecaries. Expected to follow in the steps of his father and older brother, he apprenticed with the guild. However, he lacked the diligence and responsibility of his older brother and the precociousness of his younger sister, which made him a bit of an outcast within the family and, quite frankly, a disappointment. He struggled as an apprentice, far more interested in experimenting and tinkering than with following the carefully measured recipes and strict rules of the guild. He came to the attention of the Clearwater Academy through the intervention of his mother, who hoped it was a place where his inquisitiveness and inventiveness could be nourished and perhaps harnessed a bit. His father was more than happy to pay the tuition, which also aided in his admission to the academy.
Class/Subclass (if not yet taken, please indicate your current choice.): Bard (Lore)
Background: Sage
Backstory (please indicate why you have received an invitation and how you will afford the tuition fees):
Ever an example student, Alvina (Vinny) has built a reputation for creative solutions to complex problems. She has been invited to the academy as a prospect on a large research project.
(I don't have a whole lot else because I normally like to work with the DM to integrate into the campaign world. I'd be interested in the background options as well)
Name: Alcazar Tremayne Race: Reborn Class/Subclass (if not yet taken, please indicate your current choice.): Sorceror/Shadow Background: Custom (if that's OK)
Backstory (please indicate why you have received an invitation and how you will afford the tuition fees):
Alcazar has few physical remembrances from the time before he died. One, a bracelet engraved with the words “Elirion. Forever.” remains a mystery, another is a ring with a simple seal. When he first asked about the ring the expression from the jeweller told him that he should be careful to whom he shows it. The final item was more prosaic: An invitation to the Clearwater Academy.
After his “return” – that is how he prefers to refer to the dreadful time spent digging up through the soft soil on a shallow and unmarked grave – he resisted the call of the academy. He had more pressing matters: Trying not to die, trying to remember his past, and more specifically trying to find out why he had died in the first place.
Some things were obvious: The dagger marks and blood stains in the back of his shirt (but not his coat) told a story all by themselves. In the early days people often referred to him as “My Lord” out of reflex; he determined that this was in part his accent, in part his manner and in part his taste in clothing which, he had to admit, tended toward the foppish end of the spectrum. Money also helped, and he had a surprising amount of it sewn into his frock coat.
Every day he meditated on his past, trying to garner more details, and every day he tried to make enquiries of those who might know him or his seal...or even why he was called to the academy. Days ran in to weeks, weeks into months and month into years. Eventually his paths ran cold and his enthusiasm followed suit. If nothing else, Alcazar developed a great deal of patience, for it seemed that his rebirth had left him with a long life ahead of him.
His only remaining path was to the academy: Perhaps their records might shed some light on his past. The few remaining coins from his initial trove would be spent getting there and paying whatever fees they demanded. If it was not enough then perhaps he could work for them. Or perhaps it was destiny that he go elsewhere.
Backstory (please indicate why you have received an invitation and how you will afford the tuition fees):
Elizenya, often called Elize, was born to a High Elf mother and Human father. She grew up amongst other elves with her mother, as her father traveled a great deal. He had been a soldier, or mercenary really, but had become devoted to the goddess known as The Red Knight. He studied strategy and tactics, and apparently was quite good at it. Although she didn't see him frequently, her father visited frequently. And Elize would also listen to his stories and learn bits and pieces of knowledge from him. He always emphasized how important it was to be diligent about your training, but also to keep your mind sharp as well as your body.
With a dedicated focus to practicing martial skills, Elizenya would have probably spent all of her time in that arena had it not been for her mother. A scholar, her mother and her mother's family clearly wanted her to follow along in their footsteps. So, she learned music and studied various subjects such as history and medicine. But growing up amongst other elves, her disciplined attitude often clashed with the carefree nature of the fey-related elves.
For the past 7 years, the visits from her father ceased. Her mother has never said what has happened to him, and it seems to Elizenya that her mother doesn't know. She has grown restless in her isolated studies with the elves. Although they consider her quite young, she feels that at 25 years of age, she should be out doing more. Thus, it was quite fortuitous that the letter from Clearwater Academy arrived recently. She figured that her hard work studying amongst the elves had been recognized. Although she was a bit surprised that her mother, or anyone in her extended family, would have recommended her, it was a great surprise.
In the end it turned out thought that it wasn't her mother. A group associated with worship of The Red Knight had sponsored her. Her father must have told them about her! It brought up all kinds of questions as she still had not heard from him in a very long time. Her dedication to martial training as well as pursuit of knowledge had spurred them to support her enrollment at Clearwater Academy. And on top of that, they were fully paying for her tuition. As long as she remained making good progress in her studies, they would provide.
With only the tiniest bit of apprehension, Elizenya has left her mother and is now ready to get started on this new endeavor.
This looks super cool! How old are our characters?
Name: Titus Kani-Hill Race: Centaur Class/Subclass (if not yet taken, please indicate your current choice.): Paladin (Undecided for sub, I’ll see how it goes) Background: Silverquill Student
Backstory (please indicate why you have received an invitation and how you will afford the tuition fees):
Unfortunately, this was not Titus’s first experience with school. He had been accepted to Silverquill’s program previously and excelled.. on a sports scholarship. His academic skills were quite lacking- after all, his herd had only ever taught him athleticism as their focus. His scholarship to Strixhaven was revoked on the premises of his grades dropping drastically and he was unable to afford the tuition there. Not that Titus cared- their team was more than terrible. What do you expect from a spellcaster’s school?
Clearwater Academy is much more to his liking with its diverse population and education. Titus was offered another scholarship there, and this time, he plans to keep it. No matter how much pre-game studying he has to do.
(If you need the backstory to be more dramatic, I can add to it, I just wanted to keep him trauma free)
Backstory (please indicate why you have received an invitation and how you will afford the tuition fees): Following a rumor of a Noble's son hiring poachers for pelts, Dust began hunting the boy. Upon finding the culprit and the rumor to be incorrect, the Taxabi learned the arrogant noblemen had allegedly bought his way into the Academy by coercing someone else out of their invite. Dust decided taking the Noble's invitation to Clearwater would prove useful in his endeavors, and made sure they would pay for expenses in exchange for keeping their life.
Name: Asher Goldheart Race: Human Variant - with the feat Healer Class/Subclass: Ranger [going for Drakewarden] - For the Favorite enemy, I'm happy to have a chat with you about the type of enemies we might encounter (I choose Beast right now) Background: Asher is the last one of a family of four kids and has always been one with the Nature. Since a young age, she used to run in the forest 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 the shaman of the village, who taught her everything about the properties of the plants. Woodland beasts did not scared her and she ended to know quite well their behaviour , fighting them became easier with time. A few years ago, while looking for fresh herbs, she encountered a wounded Amethyst Dragon Wyrmling and managed to stabilise her. The dragon, thankful for her benefactor, gave Asher a marvellous small purple crystal and promised her a bright future. Since the encounter, she wear the crystal inside a small pendant that never leave her neck. Since then she always wondered what the dragon meant and decided to join the Clearwater Academy to truly unlock her magical potential, and learn about the majestic Dragon species.
Because of her skills in nature and medicinal plants, Asher has agreed to work for the school as the assistant of the herborist - Miss (insert name) - to pay her tuition.
1. What will the posting frequency be and when will botting/booting happen?
2. What will be the approximate balance between RP/Combat/Puzzles/Exploration?
1. Let's say a couple of times a day at least. If we're in combat and it has been 16 hours since the previous person took their turn, you will be botted. If it has been three days since someone's last post, they will be botted for a couple of days unless they are needed to complete a task. If, after seven days and there have been no messages, then they will be botted.
Hopefully, this would keep things active whilst accounting for different time zones, bust schedules and illness. Of course, around different holidays, more time will be given as appropriate.
2. I will try to keep the different styles balanced. However, I imagine we will be slightly RP-heavy, to begin with, versus combat. Then it will shift slightly.
I should probably have listed the optional subclasses earlier; Bard - College of the Elements, Druid - Circle of the Nine, Fighter - Zhentilar's Finest, Rogue - Spell Slayer, Wizard - School of Secrets.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Class: Barbarian (subclass: undecided, possibly path of wild magic)
Background: Far Traveler
Backstory:
(Note: happy to make changes as you deem necessary)
The Flusshaven clan of the Tortles is known for their careful demeanor and magical expertise. Members of the tribe are often sought by royal houses as counselors and advisors, as well as tutors for the royal offspring. Paartu was not like the others. He chafed at the stultifying group discussions of diplomacy and intrigue. He had no patience for carefully learning spells or sitting through prayers and devotions. He was, perhaps, the first tortle of the clan to fail in every possible academic pursuit in its entire history. Instead, he ran through the tropical jungles surrounding the clans outpost, chasing animals and engaging in hunts. This was a responsibility that all tortles accepted, but it was only necessary to provide food and allow more time for study and contemplation. Paartu seemed actually enjoy it. The clan elders recognized that something must be done or Paartu would never find his way. At this time, the elders were contacted by Clearwater Academy. The school, located a continent away, was interested in establishing an exchange program with the tortles, whose fame had reached them. The tortles would normally never consider sending one of their own to a school, let alone one so far away, but Paartu appeared to be a unique case and so they decided to send him to the school. His tuition is paid through a trust established by the clan to support its members world-wide.
This is a campaign that starts at Clearwater Academy. Once you have finished your education, you will continue to adventure out of the school's grounds.
The campaign will have you starting at level 1 and will hopefully continue until level 20.
Optional: I do have some optional subclasses and alternative background features that can be used for this campaign if you are interested.
Rules:
Please read the following rules for how this game will be played.
Character:
So, pick standard array for your abilities.
You start at level 1
Levelling up will be milestones.
Hp will be the average.
All races are allowed; you must take Monsters of the Multiverse versions of races if found in that book.
However, you can take the class options etc, found in Tasha's, and UA is allowed.
You can take Feats
You can Multiclass
You can either take the Starting Equipment, for your class and background or Starting Wealth, for your class.
Adventuring:
Standard encumbrance rules will be used.
You can craft magic items, but finding time and gold will be difficult.
Equipment will be sized to its wearer
The rules for Fear and Horror will be used.
You will be Healer's Kit Dependent and have Slow Natural Healing
You get Hero Points
You can get Inspiration
Rules for Mixing Potions will be used
Rules for More Difficult Identification will be used
You will be affected by Shadowfell Despair
You will be able to use spell scrolls if does not match your class given a successful magic ability check, but risk a mishap.
Sills can be rolled with different abilities.
Combat:
You can also take the optional Action Options in the DMG: Climb onto a Bigger Creature, Disarm, Mark, Overrun, Shove Aside, and Tumble.
Rules for Hitting Cover will be used; this can lead to friendly fire
Rules for Injuries will be used
Rules for Massive Damage will be used
Please reply with the following information.
Name:
Race:
Class/Subclass (if not yet taken, please indicate your current choice.):
Background:
Backstory (please indicate why you have received an invitation and how you will afford the tuition fees):
Note: This will be nothing like Harry Potter.
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Name: Nepharios Tenebras
Race: Human (Variant)
Class: Wizard (Necromancer)
Background: Noble
Backstory: As the second son of Lord Belarios Tenebras, Nepharios' soul was destined for the Dark Lord that his vile and corrupted family struck a deal with so many generations ago. Their castle home had since then been a dark place, devoid of affection and the weakling second son of Lord Belarios had a cold and uncaring upbringing, leaving him covering up his own insecurities with what would be percieved as codescending aloofness, spending much time in the family library playing Dragonchess against his younger sister Selene and pouring through old dusty dark tomes. It was only recently that the young Nepharios, quite by accident, found out about his dark destiny in one of those dark tomes. Deeply distressed, the young noble soon began searching for a way to avoid this dark destiny, even traveling to distant libraries in his desperate hunt for a solution. In time he came to the conclusion that the only way to avoid his fate was to prolong his life, indefinitely, and so he turned to the dark arts of necromancy, devoting his life to discovering the necromantic knowledge needed to avoid final death, convincing his unknowing and uncaring father to send him away to the Clearwater Academy, accompanied only by his loyal unto death raven familiar Mortio. There he intends to one day master the dark arts, joining any endeavour and pay any price to find the his way to immortality.
Nepharios Tenebras
Name: Aslan Firebrand
Race: Human Variant
Class/Subclass: Fighter [Battlemaster]
Background:
"Off to fight in the pit again?" said William Turly of the Firebrand.
Third son of the prestigious Firebrand family, Aslan could never recall a time when his family seemed to care about him, at least not in the way they cared about their heir - Daran, just over 3 years older than Aslan.
What he lacked in discipline and manner, Aslan compensated for through his quick wit and lightning-fast reactions with the sword. As the third son, his chances of ever taking the reins of the family after his father Turly were rather quite frankly non-existent. Left alone in his own world, he set upon the goal of becoming a strong and renowned sell-sword, one day hoping to find a suitable house and eventually seek knighthood. But there was just one issue - Turly Firebrand would never hire professional teachers for his third son. The man had little love for fighting, and even less for mercenaries.
Thus the remaining option for Aslan was to seek out the experience himself. Stumbling upon the local 'fighting pit', as it was called, he managed to uncover a world of possibility, where his goals might yet just be within his grasp. The pit was organized enough and the rules seemed simple: show up and fight. Put on a good show, and you might even become popular within the community of lowly boys and peasants.
Heavily advised to ignore the pit, Aslan rebelled against his father's wishes and spent two good years of his life fighting, throwing the boys into the dirt, shoving the wooden swords against their necks. It was within the pit that Aslan was discovered by one of the members of Clearwater Academy. His quick reflexes and fighting spirit immediately caught the attention of the unusual spectator.
Within weeks, he found the letter upon his desk - the golden opportunity he's been waiting for. By this point, his father Turly would give anything to get rid of Aslan, believing that sending him off somewhere would probably do both of them good. Thus, Turly put his great wealth to use and accepted to pay off his tuition if only he promised to behave and graduate properly.
Aslan awaits his new life at the academy and the opportunities it might bring with it, even more determined to achieve his knighthood.
Name: Jinx Onyxseeker
Race: Deep Gnome
Class/Subclass: Rogue - Inquisitive
Background: Urchin
Backstory: Jinx was orphaned from a young age. She might've died alone in the Underdark if a master thief, Lucky Granitefist, hadn't taken her and a band of other orphans under his wing. In exchange for a place to stay and his mentorship, Jinx and the other children helped Lucky carry out his schemes and heists, crawling into places only they could fit, spying or eavesdropping, playing the innocent bait for a mark. It wasn't until Jinx was older that she began to dream of a more exciting life. When she learned that the Clearwater Academy was accepting applicants, she leapt at the chance to apply.
One of the older orphans, Rina, who was like an older sister to the young gnome, helped Jinx with her application since Jinx is barely literate. In her application, she emphasized her skills at spycraft, investigation, and digging up secrets. This was apparently intriguing enough to the Headmaster of the Academy that he decided to offer Jinx a place. The only problem would be affording tuition, but Lucky had an idea. They would send Jinx off with one last heist, the biggest they'd ever performed, burgling the estate of a wealthy baron, Lord Featherstone, and selling off his priceless collection of ancient dwarven statuettes. The heist was a huge success, but Lord Featherstone was more resourceful than anyone realized, and he quickly identified the culprits behind the burglary. While Lucky and the others had to go into hiding to avoid the angry baron's retribution, Jinx barely escaped with her life to Clearwater Academy...
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)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus & Phandalin Adventures
Name: Sylvie Coldmist (Character Sheet)
Race: Half-elf
Class: Warlock (Genie; Marid patron)
Background: Sailor
Sylvie's life has always been around water. She was young when she and her older sister were sent to live with her uncle in a small fishing village. Many of the girl's early memories were on her Uncle Tim's fishing boat, the widower unwilling to leave them in his meager home alone. Eventually her sister stopped going out, having gotten an apprenticeship with a local weaver. Sylvie kept with the fisher life, but couldn't contain her curiosity about the world.
When she was 18, she left home to become a sailor proper. She hoped to join a crew aboard a merchant's vessel, and try to strike it rich there or even better, by finding treasure. And once she had money, she could go to school.. That was not how things went. Sylvie joined a ragtag crew aboard the "Brilliant Breeze", a boat chartered mostly for ferrying. While she enjoyed her new life, three years went by without her getting much richer. It was disheartening to say the least. Things started to change however, when the Captain agreed to ferry a scholar, along with artifacts they recently unearthed, back to their home.
The journey was unlucky from the start. Rough weather battered the ship and crew for most of their journey. When they were two days from port - nearly a week overdue because of the rough waters steering them off course - they were attacked by pirates. With some of the ship already damaged, they hardly put up a fight. As Sylvie tried to help the scholar to a lifeboat, they were knocked off board. What should have been her end turned into an opportunity. A voice offered to help her to shore, in return for entertainment; the voice wanted new experiences and dangers. Without much of a thought, Sylvie agreed.
She awoke on a shore north of the Port, wearing a pearl and shell bracelet. She scavenged what she could from the wreckage, finding some of the cargo they had been entrusted with. Word of what happened spread as she recovered in the Port, and it wasn't long before she was approached by one of the scholar's associates. In return for what she had salvaged, he promised to put a good word I for her at Clearwater Academy, and cover tuition if she was accepted. She stayed with the man, Mall're, for a few weeks, acting as an assistant before her invitation letter arrived.
With excitement she prepared to go to the academy, and see what awaited her there.
The ever growing document of character concepts can never be too long, can it?
Name: Crayliss Malrayne
Race: High Elf
Class/Subclass (if not yet taken, please indicate your current choice.): Artificer - Battle Smith
Background: Quandrix Student
Backstory (please indicate why you have received an invitation and how you will afford the tuition fees):
Crayliss is the youngest son of well to do High Elven parents. His mother is a dignitary, an ambassador who spends the majority of time on foreign soil. His father is a high ranking soldier. He is the youngest of 4 children, but after raising so many children, neither parent were willing to give up on their career for Crayliss. He therefore spent his formative years away from home with his mother, the majority of which being spent among gnomes. From them he got the love of all things technological, which only compounded the issues with his parents, who disliked this eccentricity. His siblings were far more traditional than he.
For this reason, whilst his mother is engaged in her ambassadorial duties, he is always sent to an educational establishment. His experiments have been somewhat hit and miss in the past, one of which causing him to be relocated to Clearwater Academy.
Name: Miawynn Galanodel
Race: Wood Elf
Class/Subclass (if not yet taken, please indicate your current choice.): Druid
Background: Miawynn grew up thanks to the forest creatures. Her early memories include a mother and father figure but have since been lost to a haze. Unsure of what happened to her parents and with no real memories to tie her to them except a glowing blue necklace. With the help of her closest friend, a squirrel named as Ewock, she is encouraged to leave the forest. However, her lack of interactions with others makes her fearful, shy, and uncomfortable around others.
As she began her stroll through the her first town, hiding between buildings, she watched as creatures of all kinds interacted together. She saw kids her age practicing fighting with wood swords, spells being casted, and caring parents who would bring them home as the daylight disappeared. With little in her backpack to get her by, Miawynn would find scrapes of food wherever she could often sharing with Ewock. As she struggled to provide for herself she ran across Professor Zelligar Gosteth. "Excuse me, shouldn't you be in school young lady?" said Professor Zelligar Gosteth. "School?" replied Miawynn. "You've never heard of school?" "Only whispers of it as voices would make there way through the forest". "That's it you're coming with me". So began Miawynn's adventure at Clearwater Academy. Acutely aware that her stay may be short if she got into to much trouble or didn't excel in her classes, all that faith that Professor Zelligar has in her would be for nothing...
Name: Ssej Marfedelom - https://ddb.ac/characters/38134338/JY3Gtm
Race: Lizardfolk
Class/Subclass (if not yet taken, please indicate your current choice.): Monk - Way of the Ascendant Dragon
Background: Hermit
Backstory - WIP
Name : Dorian Weiss
Race: Half-elf
Class: Warlock (The Fiend)
Background: Urchin
Backstory:
Dorian wasn’t wealthy, or famous or particularly talented in anything. But what he lacked in those department, he made up with it with ambition.
In the early years of his life, Dorian worked various jobs in a tavern to get a meager salary to get by. He met all sorts of people, rich and poor, upstanding…and others less so. But he had a dream. He wanted to be able to do magic, study it, and practice it. But sadly, he was born a nobody, and no one wanted to give him a chance.
Until one night, when he was waiting on the tables at the inn, a strange gentleman asked him if he wanted more out of life. He told him about his dream and his ambition, but also that didn’t think he could do it alone. The gentleman made him an offer: he’d help him get what he wanted, but he would come back one day and require that he complete a task for him. Dorian didn’t really think anything of it. Empty promises from a weird creep.
The next day, he felt…different. He suddenly felt newfound powers flow through him. He then received a letter from Clearwater Academy, mentioning that a patron had given a sizable donation to the school to cover for all of his tuition there. Dorian then packed his bags and made his way to Clearwater, to begin his new life.
Name: Anton Martin
Race: Variant Human (Observant Feat)
Class/Subclass: Artificer (leaning toward alchemist)
Background: Guild Artisan
Backstory: Anton was the middle child of a successful, upstanding member of the Guild of Alchemists and Apothecaries. Expected to follow in the steps of his father and older brother, he apprenticed with the guild. However, he lacked the diligence and responsibility of his older brother and the precociousness of his younger sister, which made him a bit of an outcast within the family and, quite frankly, a disappointment. He struggled as an apprentice, far more interested in experimenting and tinkering than with following the carefully measured recipes and strict rules of the guild. He came to the attention of the Clearwater Academy through the intervention of his mother, who hoped it was a place where his inquisitiveness and inventiveness could be nourished and perhaps harnessed a bit. His father was more than happy to pay the tuition, which also aided in his admission to the academy.
Name: Alvina Bristletoes
Species: Halfling (Lightfoot)
Class/Subclass (if not yet taken, please indicate your current choice.): Bard (Lore)
Background: Sage
Backstory (please indicate why you have received an invitation and how you will afford the tuition fees):
Ever an example student, Alvina (Vinny) has built a reputation for creative solutions to complex problems. She has been invited to the academy as a prospect on a large research project.
(I don't have a whole lot else because I normally like to work with the DM to integrate into the campaign world. I'd be interested in the background options as well)
Name: Alcazar Tremayne
Race: Reborn
Class/Subclass (if not yet taken, please indicate your current choice.): Sorceror/Shadow
Background: Custom (if that's OK)
Backstory (please indicate why you have received an invitation and how you will afford the tuition fees):
Alcazar has few physical remembrances from the time before he died. One, a bracelet engraved with the words “Elirion. Forever.” remains a mystery, another is a ring with a simple seal. When he first asked about the ring the expression from the jeweller told him that he should be careful to whom he shows it. The final item was more prosaic: An invitation to the Clearwater Academy.
After his “return” – that is how he prefers to refer to the dreadful time spent digging up through the soft soil on a shallow and unmarked grave – he resisted the call of the academy. He had more pressing matters: Trying not to die, trying to remember his past, and more specifically trying to find out why he had died in the first place.
Some things were obvious: The dagger marks and blood stains in the back of his shirt (but not his coat) told a story all by themselves. In the early days people often referred to him as “My Lord” out of reflex; he determined that this was in part his accent, in part his manner and in part his taste in clothing which, he had to admit, tended toward the foppish end of the spectrum. Money also helped, and he had a surprising amount of it sewn into his frock coat.
Every day he meditated on his past, trying to garner more details, and every day he tried to make enquiries of those who might know him or his seal...or even why he was called to the academy. Days ran in to weeks, weeks into months and month into years. Eventually his paths ran cold and his enthusiasm followed suit. If nothing else, Alcazar developed a great deal of patience, for it seemed that his rebirth had left him with a long life ahead of him.
His only remaining path was to the academy: Perhaps their records might shed some light on his past. The few remaining coins from his initial trove would be spent getting there and paying whatever fees they demanded. If it was not enough then perhaps he could work for them. Or perhaps it was destiny that he go elsewhere.
@DM: A couple of questions:
1. What will the posting frequency be and when will botting/booting happen?
2. What will be the approximate balance between RP/Combat/Puzzles/Exploration?
I wouldn't mind learning about the optional subclass and background options. But I am providing a character without those below:
Name: Elizenya Feyldis
Race: High Half-Elf
Class: Fighter (future Eldritch Knight)
Background: Cloistered Scholar
Backstory (please indicate why you have received an invitation and how you will afford the tuition fees):
Elizenya, often called Elize, was born to a High Elf mother and Human father. She grew up amongst other elves with her mother, as her father traveled a great deal. He had been a soldier, or mercenary really, but had become devoted to the goddess known as The Red Knight. He studied strategy and tactics, and apparently was quite good at it. Although she didn't see him frequently, her father visited frequently. And Elize would also listen to his stories and learn bits and pieces of knowledge from him. He always emphasized how important it was to be diligent about your training, but also to keep your mind sharp as well as your body.
With a dedicated focus to practicing martial skills, Elizenya would have probably spent all of her time in that arena had it not been for her mother. A scholar, her mother and her mother's family clearly wanted her to follow along in their footsteps. So, she learned music and studied various subjects such as history and medicine. But growing up amongst other elves, her disciplined attitude often clashed with the carefree nature of the fey-related elves.
For the past 7 years, the visits from her father ceased. Her mother has never said what has happened to him, and it seems to Elizenya that her mother doesn't know. She has grown restless in her isolated studies with the elves. Although they consider her quite young, she feels that at 25 years of age, she should be out doing more. Thus, it was quite fortuitous that the letter from Clearwater Academy arrived recently. She figured that her hard work studying amongst the elves had been recognized. Although she was a bit surprised that her mother, or anyone in her extended family, would have recommended her, it was a great surprise.
In the end it turned out thought that it wasn't her mother. A group associated with worship of The Red Knight had sponsored her. Her father must have told them about her! It brought up all kinds of questions as she still had not heard from him in a very long time. Her dedication to martial training as well as pursuit of knowledge had spurred them to support her enrollment at Clearwater Academy. And on top of that, they were fully paying for her tuition. As long as she remained making good progress in her studies, they would provide.
With only the tiniest bit of apprehension, Elizenya has left her mother and is now ready to get started on this new endeavor.
Elizenya Feyldis Character Sheet
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
This looks super cool! How old are our characters?
Name: Titus Kani-Hill
Race: Centaur
Class/Subclass (if not yet taken, please indicate your current choice.): Paladin (Undecided for sub, I’ll see how it goes)
Background: Silverquill Student
Backstory (please indicate why you have received an invitation and how you will afford the tuition fees):
Unfortunately, this was not Titus’s first experience with school. He had been accepted to Silverquill’s program previously and excelled.. on a sports scholarship. His academic skills were quite lacking- after all, his herd had only ever taught him athleticism as their focus. His scholarship to Strixhaven was revoked on the premises of his grades dropping drastically and he was unable to afford the tuition there. Not that Titus cared- their team was more than terrible. What do you expect from a spellcaster’s school?
Clearwater Academy is much more to his liking with its diverse population and education. Titus was offered another scholarship there, and this time, he plans to keep it. No matter how much pre-game studying he has to do.
(If you need the backstory to be more dramatic, I can add to it, I just wanted to keep him trauma free)
I’ll draw him in a bit :)
I’m on an alt for now, but here’s my main
https://www.dndbeyond.com/members/cynophobia_
Yet another cynophpbia alt. I apologize for the inconvenience :) Rock on my dudes.
Name: Breath of Dust (Prefers Dust) (Breath of Dust (Dust)'s Character Sheet - D&D Beyond (dndbeyond.com))
Race: Taxabi
Class/Subclass (if not yet taken, please indicate your current choice.): Monk
Background: Wanderer
Backstory (please indicate why you have received an invitation and how you will afford the tuition fees): Following a rumor of a Noble's son hiring poachers for pelts, Dust began hunting the boy. Upon finding the culprit and the rumor to be incorrect, the Taxabi learned the arrogant noblemen had allegedly bought his way into the Academy by coercing someone else out of their invite. Dust decided taking the Noble's invitation to Clearwater would prove useful in his endeavors, and made sure they would pay for expenses in exchange for keeping their life.
I'm very much intrigued !!! Here's my character.
Name: Asher Goldheart
Race: Human Variant - with the feat Healer
Class/Subclass: Ranger [going for Drakewarden] - For the Favorite enemy, I'm happy to have a chat with you about the type of enemies we might encounter (I choose Beast right now)
Background: Asher is the last one of a family of four kids and has always been one with the Nature. Since a young age, she used to run in the forest 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 the shaman of the village, who taught her everything about the properties of the plants. Woodland beasts did not scared her and she ended to know quite well their behaviour , fighting them became easier with time. A few years ago, while looking for fresh herbs, she encountered a wounded Amethyst Dragon Wyrmling and managed to stabilise her. The dragon, thankful for her benefactor, gave Asher a marvellous small purple crystal and promised her a bright future. Since the encounter, she wear the crystal inside a small pendant that never leave her neck. Since then she always wondered what the dragon meant and decided to join the Clearwater Academy to truly unlock her magical potential, and learn about the majestic Dragon species.
Because of her skills in nature and medicinal plants, Asher has agreed to work for the school as the assistant of the herborist - Miss (insert name) - to pay her tuition.
Character Sheet: Asher
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
1. Let's say a couple of times a day at least. If we're in combat and it has been 16 hours since the previous person took their turn, you will be botted. If it has been three days since someone's last post, they will be botted for a couple of days unless they are needed to complete a task. If, after seven days and there have been no messages, then they will be botted.
Hopefully, this would keep things active whilst accounting for different time zones, bust schedules and illness. Of course, around different holidays, more time will be given as appropriate.
2. I will try to keep the different styles balanced. However, I imagine we will be slightly RP-heavy, to begin with, versus combat. Then it will shift slightly.
I should probably have listed the optional subclasses earlier; Bard - College of the Elements, Druid - Circle of the Nine, Fighter - Zhentilar's Finest, Rogue - Spell Slayer, Wizard - School of Secrets.
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Name: Paartu of the Flusshaven clan
Race: Tortle
Class: Barbarian (subclass: undecided, possibly path of wild magic)
Background: Far Traveler
Backstory:
(Note: happy to make changes as you deem necessary)
The Flusshaven clan of the Tortles is known for their careful demeanor and magical expertise. Members of the tribe are often sought by royal houses as counselors and advisors, as well as tutors for the royal offspring. Paartu was not like the others. He chafed at the stultifying group discussions of diplomacy and intrigue. He had no patience for carefully learning spells or sitting through prayers and devotions. He was, perhaps, the first tortle of the clan to fail in every possible academic pursuit in its entire history. Instead, he ran through the tropical jungles surrounding the clans outpost, chasing animals and engaging in hunts. This was a responsibility that all tortles accepted, but it was only necessary to provide food and allow more time for study and contemplation. Paartu seemed actually enjoy it. The clan elders recognized that something must be done or Paartu would never find his way. At this time, the elders were contacted by Clearwater Academy. The school, located a continent away, was interested in establishing an exchange program with the tortles, whose fame had reached them. The tortles would normally never consider sending one of their own to a school, let alone one so far away, but Paartu appeared to be a unique case and so they decided to send him to the school. His tuition is paid through a trust established by the clan to support its members world-wide.
Tamryn - lvl 4 Wood Elf Rogue - Circle of Light Campaign || Drusilla - lvl 1 Half-Elf Ranger - Sleeping Gods || Grrzark - lvl 1 Goblin Barbarian - Danger at Darkshelf Quarry || DM - LTG - Curse of Strahd
Some great character concepts in these replies.
However, I am going to leave this open for a couple of days more.
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax