[D&D-5e] When Oren met Gallindan (New name TBD)

[Azure Nokori]

Application Foreword: Writing in progress. I'll come back and forth and add bits and pieces when the inspiration hits me. Name: Natsumi Summers Race: Aasimar (MotM - Wings) Class: Monk (Kensei) 3 / Rogue (Swashbuckler) TBC Concept: "Hear yee! Hear yee! Behold the chosen one! The light of Pelor! Vanquisher of demons!...De..Destroyer of...of....um...Evil! Destroyer of Evil! Yes! and Princess! Princess of pugilism, pain and precision pupil poking...." "Would you cut it out!? If your going to follow me around while I take care of all these demons you have to get much better and this. And lend a hand would you?! ... Ah see what you made me do?! Icky! Ichor all up my new Lu'e Viotonne's!...Bards!"

[Dikata]

Originally Posted by Bhelogan

I'm not sure what you mean by this exactly. Could you give some clarification?

To be honest with you, I was fighting a migraine yesterday. I have no idea what I meant by this either.

I'll update my post with a proper profile for the burglar though.

[Battlechaser]

Posting tentative interest. I was thinking of a character that is more in touch with the spirit world, but the flavor of the College of Spirits Bard does not fit my concept. Would you allow this Occultist?

[Bhelogan]

Just a couple of notes on things my players have brought up.

- We would love to see some tie-ins to the existing story. Yes, I know this might require a bit of reading to do.
- We would prefer to avoid exotic races (preference to stick towards dwarf/elf/gnome/halfling/human)

Something to consider. We are still looking at everything submitted as being very much in a WIP status

[rhaiber]

Oh my gosh, so I am probably in too many games right now, but I would be a fool to pass up an opportunity to be in a Bhelogan game, and this one absolutely piqued my interest. Before I get too deep into character building, I just thought I'd run the concept by you:

You mentioned that this whole campaign started off with rescuing a damsel in distress? Well I happen to have a concept for a damsel. Might not be the same one your heroes were sent to rescue, but I haven't had a chance to read all the existing story yet so ... I don't know ... maybe? *shrug*

Now I was planning to build this damsel into something of a anime-style mahou shoujo (like a more serious Sailor Moon, or a less tragic Madoka Magica). I know that kind of character isn't everyone's cup of tea, but you also said you had a familiar in the game inspired by Luci from Disenchantment, which led me to believe that a slightly quirky character might not be totally out of place (like a princess who transforms into a magical warrior and shouts out the names of her attack moves).

Also the top class I was looking at for this would be Warlock, but I noticed you said you might want to avoid doubling up. One of the things I like about the Warlock class is that it is very versatile and it is possible to build several completely different character types out of the existing rules, but let me know if that is a dealbreaker. I have some other build ideas that might also work.

[Battlechaser]

The ‘Damsel in distress’ part is a private thread by the way.

[Bhelogan]

@rhaiber - The ex-Damsel in Distress (Isabelle), was tainted by Fierna. The only sign that this occurred now, she has turned her parents into her servants, playing on their guilt for offering her up as the damsel in distress in the first place. By the edicts of the Hooded Lantern, Gallindan probably should have executed her already. But, the party decided to wait and see if she has truly been tainted, or will recover from the experience. (Set up to be a possible long-term antagonist to the party).

So, while playing Isabelle directly probably wouldn't be a good fit, you could play another 'Damsel' who has gone through similar situations (Lux mentioned he had seen it a thousand times before), and perhaps is seeking out those who have been through it to guide or rehabilitate them. Anyway, just a thought. Specific class for that role could really be anything.

[Bhelogan]

Originally Posted by Battlechaser

The ‘Damsel in distress’ part is a private thread by the way.

Yes, this was intentionally left that way, to avoid any potential spoilers. That, and the original game is Homestarbaby's material, not mine. I don't want to infringe on it, since Homestarbaby still runs it actively for several players.

[mountainbound]

Originally Posted by Bhelogan

Just a couple of notes on things my players have brought up.

- We would love to see some tie-ins to the existing story. Yes, I know this might require a bit of reading to do.
- We would prefer to avoid exotic races (preference to stick towards dwarf/elf/gnome/halfling/human)

Something to consider. We are still looking at everything submitted as being very much in a WIP status

Huge note of agreement to the above. It would be fantastic for a new character to have some connection with the existing story. There are a lot of hooks buried in there.

Plus, there are two very formidable female NPCs already part of the party that anyone interested in the game should consider. Daybreak, the dryad-turned-tiefling via demonic curse, is Oren's +1. One of his goals is to see her returned to her true form (which she does not remember). Adelaide is a dwarven warrior-priestess in training and is currently under Zeb's character's tutelage.

Classwise, as the group's warlock, I am not overprotective of the class, but I do enjoy serving as the group's arcane caster.

[Bhelogan]

A couple of possible tie-ins to the story, that any potential players could consider:

• Abbot Urthwin left Oakcrest after falling prey to the enchantment of a demon (Oren and Gillindan later killed), which caused him to do some things that made him lose favor with the townsfolk. He went to visit his brother in Rosewood, about a week's journey south. Perhaps the church where he was Abbot has sent somebody to take over his duties there.
  
• The Knights of Neomosis are a mercenary band, headed up by Holger (totally stolen from Farm RPG). They usually did contract work for the highest bidder. In the case of Tribblefork, Holger happened to have come from there, as did one of his Sargents, Aaric. (Aaric related to the boy who came to tell Oren and Gillindan of the attack, he is his aunt's cousin). Taking on the job to clear the town was done only by volunteers. There could be a member of the Knights of Neomosis who are ready to leave that order, and travel with Oren and Gilindan instead.
  
• There could be other survivors of Tribblefork, who want to join up with those who drove the demons out of their town.
  
• There may have spread rumors of a treasure hoard, left behind by a dragon who was recently killed near Oakcrest. Although Oren is now in possession of that treasure, that part of the rumors may have been left out, drawing in fortune seekers.
  
• A PC could be a relative of a farmer from Oakcrest, had has come to make sure they are OK after hearing rumors of everything going on there.

Just a few ideas, I'm sure there are lots of others that could help instantly tie new players into the story.

[Torack]

Revamped my character's entire backstory to have his daughter set up as a potential high priestess of the chapel in Oakcrest while he teaches her the ropes of the trade

[rhaiber]

Ok, so I am still just getting started on reading the story so far. Might be interested in taking over one of the NPCs once I get a better feel for them (if that is what you'd prefer). On the other hand, if there's room for a new character whose backstory is loosely tied in, I present to you:

Princess Luminara Starshimmer Name: Princess Luminara “Lulu” Starshimmer Race: Aasimar (Radiant Soul) - note: if this falls into the realm of exotic races to avoid, I can make her a variant human instead Class: Warlock (Hexblade) 3 / Bard (Swords) 3 Description:   Appearance: Lulu is a fairly ordinary young girl - at least she never thought of herself as anything special. She always lagged behind her peers in height, and physical development in general, often causing her to be mistaken for younger than she is - a misconception her softly rounded cherubic face and her wide, guileless eyes do little to dispel. Lulu’s grandparents often require her to dress the part of her role, wearing opulent dresses of the finest fabrics with layer upon layer of lace and frills. However, when she does dress this way (particularly when she is on “official business”), she generally appears like a fish out of water, and has been known to trip over her own two feet. When she can get away with it, she prefers to dress far more simply, in a common peasant dress made of plain cloth, and heavy well-worn boots far too big for her that give her a somewhat clownish appearance. There is a brightness to her smile that can be infectious, though. When she calls upon the magic of her ancestral calling, all of that changes: she no longer looks anything like a simple peasant farmgirl. Instead Princess Luminara Starshimmer appears as a tall, robust warrior encased in ornate gleaming magical armor. All her bumbling clumsiness is suddenly replaced by majestic grace and power, and her typically unruly hair grows longer, and yet manages to stay out of her way far better than when she is “just herself.” Personality: Lulu is ever the bright and cheerful optimist, who prefers to see the best in others and views strangers as simply friends she hasn’t met yet. She sees the world as a fundamentally good place full of good people and can’t quite bring herself to believe that anyone could ever knowingly and intentionally be “evil” without reason, which makes her more interested in figuring out what causes some people to behave badly (since there must be a reason, right?) and sees beating people up as a last (though sometimes necessary) resort. Background: Modified Noble This is actually a character I have used once before, so I have a really detailed backstory, but it’s several pages long, so here is the short version (Also, I intend to modify this as I read more of the existing story in order to make her more of an organic part of the campaign setting, most likely building on the idea that Bhelogan suggested of making her another damsel who was put into a similar situation to Isabelle, only she got tired of waiting for a knight in shining armor and became a self-rescuing princess):   Tentative Background In ancient times, the kingdom of Lyria had been a place of peace and prosperity. They had no standing army for they had never known war. Sadly this left Lyria ill-prepared when the Demon-lord Azzothet led his hordes to invade. The Lyrians would never have stood a chance, had it not been for their ruler, Queen Lucia. She ventured into the nearby mountains and climbed their highest peak to arrive at a secluded grotto, a place of mystery and power. She beseeched the other-worldly creatures that came there to bathe in the moonlit waters of a tranquil pool, offering everything she had to give in return for the power to drive her foes back. And one of the creatures answered, granting her unearthly powers in return for a small sliver of her soul … and that of every firstborn daughter of her family. And so Queen Lucia of Lyria became the first Mystic Knight, a long line of hereditary warrior princesses. For generations, the Mystic Knights protected the kingdom of Lyria and its people from marauders, invaders, and monsters. However, while they defended the kingdom from outside threats, they fell prey to a more insidious and subtle enemy. Lothos of Orlon was the most trusted adviser to the Mystic Knight of his time, Queen Iridessa. She entrusted him with affairs of the crown when she was called away to serve in her capacity as protector of the people. But Lothos took advantage of this to consolidate his own power, installing men whose loyalty was due first to him, and to their country as a distant second. One day, when Queen Iridessa returned home, she discovered that Lothos had seized the throne and imprisoned the rest of the royal family. The only one to avoid this fate was Iridessa’s infant daughter and heir to the throne, who had been snuck out of the castle at the start of the coup. As the deposed Queen Iridessa went into exile, she left her daughter in the care of a faithful farmer, who raised her as if she were his own. Lulu grew up never knowing of her true heritage, even as she heard tales of the exiled Queen who still served as Mystic Knight, protecting the people of the realm with her ragtag group of freedom fighters. But that all changed once when her mother fell in battle trying to win her kingdom back, the day that the guardian spirit appeared to inform her of her birthright and her destiny. As the rightful heiress to the throne, Lulu - now Princess Luminara Starshimmer - joined her mother’s band of freedom fighters and led the people’s rebellion against the usurper, Baron Lothos. RP Samples: I know Bhelogan is familiar with my writing from Outplay, but here's a few others: Cythia, the aberrant mind sorceress offers a eulogy for a fallen party member ... whose spirit she believes can actually still speak to her. Li Ruiying, the immortal fox-spirit sheds their human guise to scout ahead. Rapunzel (yes the Disney princess) has recently discovered that she is an AI created for a futuristic theme park. After escaping from the park with a number of other AI characters, Rapunzel is disturbed by how casually her companions have resorted to violence, so she takes the time to (secretly) heal and then tie up all the goons they just fought. Spindletop Loadlightener, the capricious kender, creates all sorts of havoc without ever realizing she is in the middle of a fight.

[Starflier]

Originally Posted by mountainbound

Adelaide is a dwarven warrior-priestess in training

I actually have some interest in that character, but I thought from the game thread that she is human. Just checking. I was also curious if she has a subclass, or if she's following after her mentor Gallindan, who I think is an oath of the ancients. I read through the game thread from the point she's introduced, but there aren't a ton of specifics on the character yet. Also, is there any info on the Order of the Hooded Lantern that someone should know?

[Bhelogan]

Originally Posted by Starflier

I actually have some interest in that character, but I thought from the game thread that she is human. Just checking. I was also curious if she has a subclass, or if she's following after her mentor Gallindan, who I think is an oath of the ancients. I read through the game thread from the point she's introduced, but there aren't a ton of specifics on the character yet. Also, is there any info on the Order of the Hooded Lantern that someone should know?

She is actually a human, just build like a dwarf. She is a Paladin (Oath of the Ancients). The Order of the Hooded Lantern we kind of made up with zebedee, so there is not an external resource to read up on them. I picture it like a faction, similar to the Harpers or Emerald Enclave in FR.

[Dikata]

Ermahgerd!
I'm enjoying the read. Might find me a good tie-in somewhere. Just gotta find what really pulls on me. Really enjoying the story this far.