[D&D-5e] Wanted! Crooks of Any Class! Must Be Discrete!

[Hal Hammerhand]

If I were to go variant human barbarian with the tavern brawler feat, would that scale up to 1d6 when I got unarmed at 3rd level?

Nevermind

[Hal Hammerhand]

A Debt Owed: Character name: Rexxa Race: Tavern Brawler featHuman (Variant) Class: Barbarian (Path of Streets potential) Background: Guildborn Personality traits (2): -I have a habit of calling guild operatives “cousin,” “auntie,” “uncle,” and other terms of endearment. -I’d sooner trust a street thug than a guardsman. Ideal: -People. The people I become friends with are worth more to me than all the money I could steal. (Neutral) Bond: -I owe my services to Ebonclad in return for my training and upbringing. Flaw: - When I do a job well, I want everyone to know about it. Backstory: Rexxa never knew her parents but she had more family she could have ever counted. Some of the best assassins, shadowy thieves, cutthroats and cutpurses uncountable that all showed her a new, different and exciting skill, some that she mastered, some that she preferred and others that escaped her grasp in her time among the Ebonclad. Even with more family than most kids had and all of them loving her in their own way, she was also kept company by many tales of her parents and how they were always loyal to the family. As her own unique talents came into fruition, she had more specialized teachers and mentors to help her along, honing her abilities. She became a rough and tumble bruiser just as her father was, or so the other members of her family has always told her. The family helped her always, as she entered adulthood, setting her up as a bouncer at the Five Claws Den, one of the many information hubs within the city within the Ebonclad's network. It was around her eighteenth year and they saw how Rexxa's prowess had been improving that they inducted her as a 'Scrap' and revealed the true purpose of her family and their particular skillsets. Goal: Rexxa literally only knows crime but not as a bad thing, just as another way of living in the Silver City. Rexxa wants what anyone else wants in life, to live her life and with her family behind her, she knows she has the skills to do it. Rexxa feels she owes Ebonclad a debt that she can likely never repay for raising her and bringing her up with the tools to survive. RP Sample: Rexxa stood watch just outside the door of the Five Claws, like she usually did around this time of night. She leaned heavily against a barrel and chomped on a sweet onion, looking up at the moon. It was full tonight and nearing fall. She could feel the slight nip in the air but it didn't bother her. Her skin was toughened and scarred from fights and a life lived in the thick of the fight, usually every other night. Just as she contemplated how wild the last couple nights under this wild moon had been, she heard a shout from inside. She immediately chucked her onion away with one cloth-wrapped hand and wiped her mouth with the back of the other as she spun around and shouldered through the door. A crowd had formed just inside the door and surrounded two guys duking it out in the middle of the common room. She wasn't about to have that, Uncle Sado would skin her for letting that persist. "Get out of the way, ya hoodlums!" she shouted powerfully as she shouldered and shoved past the patrons to the center of the morass. One man, with an eyepatch got a sock from one of her big fists and the other she grabbed the collar of his shirt and gave him a good backhanded cuff across the head. She gave the second rascal a shove towards the door, into the crowd before grabbing 'eyepatch' and yanking him behind her as she pushed the second guy through the crowd. Once on the other side, she shoved them one, then the other, out the door. As she stepped out to give them their warning, they both squared off with Rexxa in the alleyway, "Alright, you two, We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You drag your butts home or I'll leave ya both half-beaten over there against the wall!" Just as she finished speaking, 'Eyepatch' lunged at her and struck her square in the jaw. She groaned in pain then rubbed her jaw as a wild grin spread across her face, likely shocking the two drunks, "I always like the hard way!" she shouted as she lunged forward herself. With the fury of a tornado, she thrashed the two drunks and left them propped against the wall of the alley, just as she said she would. Rexxa slapped her palms together and resumed her position beside the door of the Five Claws.

[Oakie]

@Hal Hammerhand, I'm assuming your barbarian would take the Path of the Streets at 3rd? Maybe we could stack the feat with the path benefit of Bare-Knuckle ... I'm not committing to a ruling right now, but my first thought is a good compromise for your barbarian with the Tavern Brawler feat AND Bare-Knuckle from Path of the Streets would be to allow them the monk progression in unarmed damage:

1-2: 1d4 unarmed
3-4: 1d4 + unarmed as bonus (up to three unarmed strikes per round!) + Rage damage bonus
5-10: 1d6
11-16: 1d8
etc.

Just a first thought. However we work the stats, I would enjoy a raging bruiser who can clear out an entire bar of city guardsman with bare fists. It fits well with the theme.

EDIT: I see you're going with a sorcerer, but I'm leaving this response for others considering a Path of the Streets Barbarian.

Originally Posted by Hal Hammerhand

If I were to go variant human barbarian with the tavern brawler feat, would that scale up to 1d6 when I got unarmed at 3rd level?

[Hal Hammerhand]

I went with the barbarian, after all. Just couldn't get the sorceress idea to pan out the way I wanted.

[Dukklord]

I have updated my application with an appearance as I forgot to include one.

[ElderOblex]

Application Complete! Feedback Always Welcome @Ryu Foxe Character name: Saladius zek'Edarakas Race: 33.3% Tiefling, 66.6% अन्यत् किमपि: Custom LineageLevistus-Touched Class: Sorcerer (Clockwork Soul) Background: Foreign Nobility Personality traits (2): * I have a very positive outlook in life, especially when it comes to things working out in my favor. * My sense of humor would seem... deviant... to some but I just blame it on my exotic upbringing! *wink* Ideal: * Honor. Regardless of what others think, I live by a code. Admittedly, it's a code unique to my own sensibilities... * Knowledge. Knowing is half the war, and I do enjoy knowing secrets nobody else knows. Bond: * My family might be from another country, but should I fail to make a name for myself in Kintalla, there will be... repercussions. Flaw: * Why fight when you can cast Invisibility and not be known at all? I despise getting my hands bruised. * I get carried away sometimes, which leads to acts of cruelty and sadism. It's a hard habit to break. Backstory Hailing from one of the more distant I'm basing the places off of somewhere I found online Ivory Duchies, Sal is a relative newcomer to Kintalla. For all intents and purposes, he acts according to what one would expect from someone of foreign nobility. He goes to all the relevant parties, rubs shoulders with high society, and exclaims utter fascination at the Ohlspire. Sal has a charm and easygoing demeanor about him that makes him attractive even in these circles. His sharp wit however, is less popular. The lack of funds however has presented a problem in Saladius purchasing a home in the Groveside District, something he has been actively and vocally working on. Sal has also applied for a scholarship at the prestigious Order of Ohl’Abdurr in the Ohlspire on account of his latent magical potential. What few upper class Kintallans know is that Sal has also dipped his proberbial claws deep in the capital city’s shadowy underbelly. He often participates in the gambling dens in the Slums, most of the time in less… ostentatious apparel. As such, Saladius knows more of what the city has to offer compared to most of his ken. Maybe that’s why the Ebonclad noticed him. Maybe it was because Sal was good at breaking in - whether through a window thief-like, or through the front door via a nicked invitation - and gathering information on the sly. Maybe it was because he seemed to have a penchant for making the multiverse bend to his will; Sal even claims to be the favorite of some deity he calls Levistus! And maybe it’s not at all because he took the wrong people's money in a card game that he may or may not have cheated on… Goal: Sal is relatively new and his noble lineage is basically unremarkable in Kintalla. The fact that the Ebonclad has noticed him means he's doing something right, and he will exert his utmost to make sure he ascends the ladder of organized crime. RP Sample: Roofs, Tiefling Warlock

[Oakie]

Wasn't required but they're always fun.

Originally Posted by Dukklord

I have updated my application with an appearance as I forgot to include one.

[Albus Albacore]

Awesome adventure idea. Got a perfect character. Forgive the format. Trying...

Character name: Ezrala en Tikameni
• Race: Human
• Class: Warlock (female, CN)
• Background: street urchin, thief
• Personality traits (2):
o Seeks ambitious jobs to hone skills, increase her reputation, and accrue glory to her patron demon
o Absolute dedication to the job at hand; will work with anyone; all other rules must be sacrificed; money is just a tool
• Ideal: loyalty to the job; ends justify the means
• Bond: honor among thieves; betrayal during the job is death; afterwards…
• Flaw: Soft spot for street urchins
• Backstory: Ezrala survived Kintilla’s streets with rat-fast feet and a few hexes until she was abducted by cultists for her “spell stink.” When their patron demon arrived for the sacrifice, Ezrala bargained for her life, insisting she would kill the “weak” cultists, and devote her life to its demonic aims. Intrigued, the demon freed her. Ezrala used the dagger meant to carve out her heart, her hex-smithing, and a pure, gleaming hatred to kill the seven soft men in expensive robes.
• Goal: Her only ambition is to master all forms of skullduggery to prove herself worthy to her demon lord so he will take her on one of his heists against the guarded treasure of a rival demon lord. Ebonclad would be an ideal link in her chain.
o She has 7 brands on her body that represent the 7 cultists she killed. Her fiend made her absorb their quests that it had given them; so she must complete them, then her own quest before he will consider her for his crew.
o Some of the dead cultists may have allies or family that would seek her death, and may have been in Ebonclad.

[FraterChad]

Good news, everyone! Or, mostly just good news for me, I suppose: but my character application for Stirge is now fully complete. It was a blast just creating the character, so no worries if he isn't right for this particular iteration of the Ebonclad. Related, best of luck to everyone who has applied to this game! All of these characters sound great!

[Citizen Sam]

(Apologies for being a day later than I'd promised)

Character name: Fabian ‘Fade’ Fidelis
Race: Human
Class: Wizard (Illusionist)
Background: Criminal/Charlatan

Appearance (Adding this since I don’t have a picture handy):Fade is quite the handsome specimen; tall, svelte, , dark-skinned and well-proportioned, if a bit hawkish-looking in the face. Intense brown eyes are framed by a head of short, black, well-maintained hair and a small, neat goatee. He prefers to dress his best on all occasions and won’t suffer patches or holes in his clothing…even if he needs to resort to a cantrip or two to cover them up. Altogether he tries his best to put on a well-groomed, well-dressed persona…not only out of vanity, but also out of a sense of discipline and self-control.

Personality traits (2):
“I always have a plan for what to do when things go wrong.”
Fade is nothing if not meticulous. He takes great pains to make sure he has every angle covered and that every plan is foolproof.

“Flattery is my preferred trick for getting what I want.”
Being born to a merchant family, Fabian learned from an early age how to flatter, manipulate, and generally say the right things to get what he wants.

Ideal: “Aspiration. I'm determined to make something of myself.”
Contrary to what one might think based on his background Fade isn’t interested in anything as petty as revenge on those who wronged him. Fabian desires three simple things; freedom, power, and wealth, in that order. Freedom to pursue his own interests and and advance his studies with no strings attached, and the wealth and power needed to ensure he can keep said freedom. And perhaps deeper down...there's a desire to prove something to himself. That he's more than a disgraced university student and an unwanted spare.

Bond: “My only true bond is myself”
He’ll follow orders, he’ll cheerfully steal, spy, and slit throats as needed, he’ll even play nice with his fellow scoundrels…but at the end of the day, Fade looks out for Fade. …And if a few hapless individuals happen to get buried along the way? That’s hardly any concern of his.

Flaw: “I'm convinced that no one could ever fool me the way I fool others.”
The problem with thinking you have every angle covered is that…eventually something pops up that proves you wrong. Fade’s not immune to being manipulated or outwitted…quite the opposite, given his sometimes overweening confidence in his own skills.

Backstory:
The youngest child of a wealthy merchant family in Kintalla, his sharp, curious mind and and silver tongue (and his family’s wealth alongside the desire for their eldest son’s inheritance of the family business to not be undermined by any unwanted spares...) quickly earned him a chance to study with the prestigious Order of Ohl’Abdurr. Unfortunately, overreaching ambition and ‘creative’ methods (re: theft and espionage) of acquiring resources for his magical experiments led to him being expelled from the venerable institution…and then cast out of high society altogether when word of his crimes became public, leading to his family disowning him. Since then he’s been stuck on the bottom rung of society, angling to make his way back up ever since.

Goal: Why is your character into crime? What do they want from life? Why did they accept the offer to join Ebonclad?
Simply put, where else could he go? His situation (and flexible morals) have effectively left him barred from more ‘respectable’ institutions. Ebonclad offered him the patronage and protection he’d lost in his old life. And if he has to put his skills to the test doing a bit of wetwork for them in return? That’s a fair enough price as far as he’s concerned…for now.

RP Sample “‘Ey Flash!” A rough looking fellow in rougher leather armor loomed over the magician, currently in the midst of what research he could get done in what free time he had. Fabian looked up with a bright, white smile that definitely did not meet his eyes. “...Fade. It’s Fade. How can I help you?” The big mook wiped at his scarred, misshapen nose, taking a moment to inspect his hand before cleaning it off on was until now a a freshly-laundered shirt that was hanging nearby, something that caused a noticeable twitch to Fade’s mustachioed lip. If looks could kill the man currently standing in the magicians study would be little more than a pair of smoking boots right now…but alas. For now the magician maintained that forced, tight-lipped smile as the thug finally continued, either ignoring or not noticing the murderous vibes being sent his way. “Boss wants ye at th’ docks tonight. Gotta thing goin’ down and ‘e wants some insurance ‘case things go t’ shite. Wants ye ready to throw one a yer…flash-bangs to cover us just in case.” “Well then…” Fade wasn’t even going to bother correcting the man’s terminology, simply maintaining his thing and growing thinner veneer of politeness. “...tell them I shall be there post haste.” That just drew disdainful snort from the other man. “Tell ‘im yerself, yer no boss of me.” And with that he was gone, slamming the door behind him, leaving Fade in blessed solitude at last. Fade took a moment to take several deep breaths, smoothing out both his hair and his goatee as he rose from his work desk, his voice practically a snarl as he muttered to himself. “One day…one day…” But not today it seems. Today it seems he’d need to make some preparations to do some dirty business for his…patrons. …And to purchase a new shirt.

[silverfeathers]

•Character name: Regina (aka. Gin or Gina)
•Race: Tiefling
•Class: Sorcerer (Warlock 2nd choice)
•Background: orphan/urchin
•Personality traits (2): I hide scraps of food and trinkets in my pockets.
• I am credibly slow to trust. But once you earn my trust you are in my circle for good.

•Ideal: We have to take care of each other, because no one else is going to do it.
•Bond: I escaped my life of poverty by robbing an important person, and I am wanted for it. ((She was not aware at the time of the theft that she stole this item from the person in question, but has come to light over time. This one of the reasons Ebonclad is interested in her. Would be happy to work with you on fleshing this out if selected))

•Flaw: It’s not stealing if I need it more than someone else.
•

Backstory Regina was left at an orphanage shortly after her birth. Her mother had been so hopeful that the baby would change her fortunes. Her supposed father had promised her mother marriage, a home and comfortable life. Upon Regina’s arrival into the world her mother was beside herself with grief that she had been lied to that she could not bear to look at, let alone take care of the “beastly child”. Her lavender skin and small horns though pretty were also a curse. Left on the steps of the orphanage Regina was taken in like every babe and child by the good hearted, though overworked and stretched thin Sisters of the Holy Oak. The note pinned to Regina’s swaddle read “Do what you will with devil spawn.” This month the nameless children were being given names that start with the letter R. The month before it had been Q. Next month it would be S. Loosely educated, but fed and clothed Regina and the other orphans kept themselves entertained by various means. Eventually Gina and her friends were running free in the streets of Kintilla reeking havoc, petty theft in the market and small con jobs. Occasionally representatives of the various guilds of the city would come to the orphanage to look for promising talent among the grubby children when they had no prospects from the nobles or families of money. Some people in dark clothes often came to talk to Gin. They seemed most interested in her ability to use magic, she called is Sparks when she was little and had no idea what magic was. They periodically gave her little tests and tricks with her magic that for the most part she completed. The learned wizards were also interested in her until they found her magic wasn’t as flexible as they had thought it was on first impression. She also wasn’t interested in reading the books they had left at the orphanage. Besides who’s heard of Tiefling wizard anyway. By the time she aged out of the orphanage Gin could use her magic well enough to cause distractions to steal a meal or help her orphanage friends cut a few purses or break into a house. She lives in an abandoned house in the city. Still it seems, those in Ebonclad have found her and are offering her a better way of life.

RP Sample ((This was my introduction post for this game. I came in late at level 4.))
https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...16#post9518716

[Noltelix]

Green Beard • Character name: Green Beard • Race: Dwarf • Class: Fighter/Rogue • Background: "Sailor" (Pirate and Smuggler have such negative connotations) • Personality traits: I like a job well done, especially if I can convince someone else to do it. The first thing I do in a new place is note the location of valuables - or where such things could be hidden. Ships don’t buy themselves. • Ideal: Aspiration. Someday I’ll own my own ship and reclaim the freedom it affords. • Bond: I’ll always remember my first ship, the Dog’s Dinner. I also remember everything that might have gone better if I’d been in charge. • Flaw: My pride will probably lead to my destruction, but building a reputation can be a dangerous game. • Backstory: After days of negotiation with some unsavory characters on the Kintallan docks, “Green Beard” was finally beginning to feel like he had done enough. He’d been forced to call in nearly every favor he’d managed to accumulate over the past few years, divest himself of just about all of his gold, and even to part with his prized spyglass (desperate times, after all). It was now four days since the Dog’s Dinner had been seized and finally word was beginning to circulate about the untimely passing of the ship’s Master Gunner, known collegially as “Old Ironshot.” Another couple of days and he could probably resurface. Not for the first time, Green Beard conducted a close examination of the reflection that stared back at him from the dirty mirror that hung in the dirty room hidden in the dirty basement of a dirty dockside tavern. Running a hand over his newly bald pate, he had to admit that the sight he took in was not the one to which he was accustomed. Gone were the earrings, holes covered in putty while the wounds healed over. Gone was the mop of hair, formerly a ruddy mass of tangled dishevelment. Gone were the beard clasps, partial payment for the transformation. He’d even parted with several inches of beard, though when the barber had suggested he might take more there had almost been blood. What beard was left to him he’d dyed green. Old Ironshot might have died attempting to flee, but Green Beard didn’t know anything about that. Green Beard wouldn’t know a mizzen from a foremast. He wouldn’t even know bow from stern. Not for a time. Not until the heat was off and Old Ironshot a faded memory. After several days in the dank basement, Green Beard felt confident enough that time passed and appearance altered would keep him safe. He finally reemerged into the bustling city, making a beeline for his contact on the lower pier. He had gone through most of his remaining coin and knew that starting from the bottom would be an inglorious undertaking but he was eager to begin nonetheless. • Goal: Green Beard has gone by several names in his hundred odd years. Most recently Old Ironshot, the presumed-dead Master Gunner of the semi-infamous “merchant vessel” the Dog’s Dinner. With that ship sailed, as it were, it is time for a rebrand. Green Beard is hazy on the details but it would seem that the captain of the Dinner crossed the wrong rival and the last time they pulled into port they were met with a decidedly unfriendly and well-armed reception. He found that he had no wish to go down with the ship so he escaped overboard, paid off some rumor mongers to spread the tale of his demise, and dramatically altered his appearance. At a loss for better options and without any name or reputation to fall back on, he took on whatever odd and unsavory jobs he could find. After the successful completion of his most recent task, he was given an ultimatum. It seemed his contact had been testing him, the conniving dog. He does not know much about the Ebonclad but knows enough to understand that it would be unwise to refuse any offers they make. Always one to roll with the punches, Green Beard now sees a path up and out of the dregs. He plans to work his way up through the ranks of the Ebonclad, leaning on the strength of the organization to keep him safe in the near term and to its wide reaching influence to scaffold his reemergence once he is ready. He knows the power of reputation and will seek to make a (new) name for himself. He will need it to attract a crew once he secures a ship and he knows that any crew worth their salt would only suffer a captain that brought them wealth and success. He seeks to build both. • Integration: Having a think about party/organizational integration and general interactions, I can see Green Beard fitting the role of either Thorn or Shadow, possibly both eventually. He could as easily start as a Rogue or a Fighter at level 1 but would eventually probably take a level or two of each. As to his master plan, I presume that he is not quite as clever as he likes to think. Somewhere along the way, one of the many people he paid off to “disappear” likely already worked for the Ebonclad and the organization probably knows exactly who he is. That being said, I figure they are always happy to add smugglers to their ranks and he would be glad of the association if it nets him personal gain. If, eventually, he were to captain or serve on a ship at the behest of the Ebonclad he’d be no less thrilled. It might feel like a shortcut to success which he would be all too happy to take. He loves a good shortcut. Having been on at least one somewhat successful pirate crew he has experience with hierarchical authority and would not chafe at taking orders from Ebonclad higher ups, at least not solely on the face of it - it may eventually depend on the order. By the same token he recognizes the benefits of cooperation in criminal endeavor and would feel at home as part of a smaller "crew." He is not a backstabber by first instinct and would prefer to resolve problems with a payout rather than a knife - his theory being that if you pay someone off you can always use them again but once you kill them its a spent resource. That being said, he is open to all expedient avenues of problem solving and of course not killing the wrong people can come with its own risks. • RP Sample:   https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...35#post8335035

[Citizen Sam]

Did some clean-up with Fade's app, also fleshed out his aspirations a bit more.

[Remorazz]

gees, four pages of apps, is this normal? I definitely don't envy the DM..

[Oakie]

Deadline is today! Game applications due today! Anyone else who wants to apply has a few more hours to get an app in.

Withdrawing your app? As many of you likely know, there's been a lot of controversy in the last couple weeks around potential changes in Wizard of the Coast's DnD Open Gaming License (OGL) and the future of DnD and WotC in general. I read an article today that 1 in 10 players have sworn off DnD completely. If you are one of those people who've sworn off DnD and want to withdraw your Ebonclad application -- or want to withdraw your app for any other reason -- kindly let me know ASAP. I want to select the team and start playing without delay. PS: I see no legal or practical reason why WotC changes that may or may not finalize will affect this game.