[D&D-5e] Where Adventure Begins

[girlplay]

Game Name Where Adventure Begins

Game System DnD 5e

Theme Beginner D&D, back to basics

Flavour Serious tone but not Grim Dark, semi-sandbox, may lead to ongoing campaign

Game Summary Nuts and Bolts Where Adventure Begins will be a stripped-down version of D&D 5th edition appropriate for new players or those who want a more simple game. While I never played "old school" D&D - having started with 4th edition - that wouldn't be an unfair comparison. So, let's start with the meta-information about the game and get into the 'fluff' in a bit. Source books allowed: Only the Player Handbook for races and classes, spells, etc. Custom backgrounds: Yes, pending DM approval. Intended posting rate: 2 to 3 times per week. Note about my availability: I won't be posting on Fridays; that's Social Life day. Number of players: 6 (knowing that some people will ghost) Character level: 2nd Determining ability scores: Point-buy to 27 points. Starting money: Characters start with the money and gear according to their class and background, and an extra 100 gold pieces, to reflect the loot gained when your character adventured from 1st to 2nd level. Alignments: Non-evil. No Chaotic Neutral characters please. Feats: No* Multiclassing: No Human variant: Yes. *Character creation of a Variant Human is the only time somebody may take a Feat. Pantheon: Use the Dawn War Deities out of the Dungeon Master's Guide, page 10. Flanking: Yes, advantage is gained by flanking. Inspiration: Yes. I want to award behavior other than just killing monsters and completing quests. Specifically, interacting meaningfully with other player characters, NPCs, and the setting. Hitting cover: Yes. If you miss by the margin of the AC bonus provided by the cover, then you hit the cover and can affect it accordingly. Passive check: Yes. I intend to make use of "passive skill scores" for routine checks. Identify spell required: Yes. To determine the exact properties and command words, etc. of a magic item, you need to cast Identify. Otherwise, you can gain a vague knowledge of what the item does with an Arcana check. Dice rolling: I will be making some of the rolls in secret, including checks for players that you wouldn't know the results of - like stealth and perception checks, for example. The feedback to how well you're doing at your attempt will be revealed by the information you receive in return. If a Goblin scout stops and says, "what's that noise?" to their allies, then you probably failed your stealth check. Distances: I plan on making simple maps but not having a grid on them to mark specific distances. Are you within 120 feet to cast your spell? You'll have to estimate, or maybe move closer to make sure. I'll include rough distances in my narrations but you don't have time to use surveyor's tools to know exacting measurements. The Hook Your band of adventurers arrives at a crossroads of 2 major trade routes. Immediately, you start hearing rumors of the death of the Brass Dragon, Bronilliax. A benevolent creature, the dragon was known for coming to the aid of travelers in duress and working with local authorities to keep the peace. Desert nomads discovered his rotting corpse 3 days ago and already speculation is rampant. What evil will rise in its absence? What harm might befall the town or travelers in the region? And more importantly: What about its lair? For a dragon so accomplished and venerable, it must have a lair nearby that is probably full of treasure, magic, and lore. Who will be the first to find it and take possession of all that Bronilliax had acquired? Will it be lost to the desert? Will it fall into the hands of evil beings? Or will good-hearted adventurers find it first? Applications Application deadline: May 31, 2022 Your applications should include the following: Name Race Sex and gender Alignment Basic concept (in a single sentence) Background (mechanical, as in: Soldier, Outlander, Acolyte, etc.) Class Your characters' goals Your characters' story (thus far. Please, no more than 2 paragraphs. I have a reading disability.) Character sheet (or a link to it) Note: Your characters will know each other at the beginning of the game and be a group of adventurers that work together and have a reason to stay together. We will do some "session zero" work around this notion, once players are selected. Additional notes Roleplay! That's the name of the game, after all. Yes, there will be combat, exploration, investigation, social interactions, etc. and the mechanics to support it. But I expect players to roleplay first. Rules and mechanics come second. Ongoing adventure? After our initial adventures and if it goes well, I may continue this game as an ongoing campaign or at least with further adventures. We'll see how it goes. The nature of Evil. Evil creatures act evil and do nasty, self-serving things. That does not mean that everything you encounter must be fought and killed. Defeating or circumventing an encounter is worthy of XP rewards. How you handle a situation is up to the players and informs the story. You are free to act as you see fit, short of destroying the game or ruining it for other players. You are heroes, not the evil that plagues the world. Please play cooperatively. You can argue and disagree but keep it civil.

[Talissen70]

Application Name: Lokenon Race: Human (Variant) Sex/Gender: Male Age: 27 Alignment: Chaotic Good Basic Concept: Gladiator of some modest success turned adventurer. Background: Gladiator Class: Fighter Goals: Has found work as a Gladiator for a few years but now seeks a different challenge and better rewards for himself Personality Traits: Bonds: Flaws: Ideals: Story thus far: Lokenon was a third step-son to a foreign noble, and as such would have a comfortable but bland life. He was talented, with athletic prowess and weapons skills and decided to carve out his own destiny abroad. His father disagreed and so he left against the family wishes. Lokenon carries several unposted letters to his younger sister and although he could return, does not plan to. He began to earn a living as a Gladiator, honing his combat and performance skills over the last five years. Seeking a change and the excitement he left home to find, he has take up with fellow adventurers looking for honour and glory. Character Sheet: https://www.rpgcrossing.com/profiler/view.php?id=90900

[RossN]

Application Name: Thia Race: High Elf Class: Rogue Background: Charlatan or Criminal Alignment: Chaotic Good Age: 103 Gender: Female (currently) Basic concept: Impulsive but talented thief with a heart of gold. Characters' Goals: Adventure and excitement mostly but she would like to make her name by making one 'impossible' score. Story: A true rogues rogue Thia has eagerly stolen from and swindled many, though her own conscience means she only targets the underserving - a corrupt merchant might find their coffers emptied while an honest merchant will merely find her a wily haggler. She loathes tyrants and delights in tweaking their noses. Thia wasn't originally a woman. She was male until a couple of years ago while looting a wizard's tomb she unwisely tried on an ornate magical girdle. She's adapted well - Elves tend to be much more genderfluid than human cultures - and likes her new life (she'll give being female a century or so) but it has caused some awkward encounters with old enemies and friends (and girlfriends.)

[Kepheren]

I have only limited knowledge of 5e but am interested. One of my other games is winding down so I should have some time opening up. Am curious though since I'm partial to playing clerics what pantheon is available to serve?

[BlackDragon0]

I'll submit a ch soon.

[ProjectLazarus]

Application Name: Stoic Glacius. Race: Tiefling Sex and Gender: Cis-Male Alignment: Lawful Good Basic Concept: Bound to a demon, and struggling against his demonic master and nature. Background: Hermit Class:Warlock - The Fiend (Eventually Pact of the Tome) Character Goals: To defeat the evil within himself and the evil he knows is coming to the land; Perhaps one day to free himself of his demonic master and his own demonic legacy. Story so far: Stoic lost his parents at an early age, but he doesn't know how or why. But given his obvious demonic heritage he was raised in an abbey dedicated to the worship of Bahamut. He learned to revere the great Dragon god, and learned the values of honour and justice. In contrast to those virtuous values however are the dark powers granted to him by Levistus; the demonic lord comes to him in dreams and promises great power, due to the deal struck between the demon and one of Stoic's ancestors. Power promised to his lineage in perpetuity. Stoic wants to believe in himself, that he is a good person; as such, he has sworn to use the dark powers that he has not asked for to do good in the world. And perhaps someday free himself of his dark ancestral contract. One day the abbot of the monastery summoned Stoic, and relayed the recent discovery of the corpse of Bronillax. The abbot told Stoic it was his duty to investigate the death of such a benevolent guardian. Such a death means there are dark tides rising in the world, and great heroes will be needed.

[BlackDragon0]

app Name: Demmuk Race: Dragonborn Sex and gender: male Alignment: Cg. Basic concept (in a single sentence) Travling Samurai warrior looking for alot of things. Background: soldier/ rank officer Class: Samurai( Fighter) Your characters' goals: To find information. To find friends. To someday restart this lost clan. To kill the reddragon. Personality: honor warrior sad/alone. driven. different from norm. always polite and respectful. I've lost too many friends, and am slow to make new ones. I can stare down a hell hound without flinching. I face problems head-on. Bonds: rebuilding clan / family. Others of his kind & dragons. Honor is my life. Someone saved me on the battlefield. To this day I will never leave a friend behind. Those who fight besides me are worth dying for. I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. Ideals: (good) greater good rotect others at cost of own self.( don't matter if they can protect them selves) independent: to following orders blindly, is to embrace a kind of tyranny (chaotic). Flaws: mission driven. revenge driven: My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning. I look like a Giant scary dragon monster! Your characters' story: Samurai. Village dead. Family gone. Searching for the one that did it. Traveling while being chased and hunted as a monster in lands that don't know dragon born. Recently recruited to clear a mages tower. He successfully did. This opened the door for him to meet other adventurers. Character sheet (or a link to it): https://www.rpgcrossing.com/profiler/view.php?id=88463 Sorry I'd of put more here but you said you don't like to read. Note: Your characters will know each other at the beginning of the game and be a group of adventurers that work together and have a reason to stay together. We will do some "session zero" work around this notion, once players are selected.

[girlplay]

Originally Posted by Kepheren

I have only limited knowledge of 5e but am interested. One of my other games is winding down so I should have some time opening up. Am curious though since I'm partial to playing clerics what pantheon is available to serve?

Excellent question and thanks for asking it. We'll be using the Dawn War Gods, as listed in the Dungeon Master's Guide, page 10. What I like about them is that they're fairly undefined, so players and the DM can work out some of the details of how they're worshipped and what service means to a cleric or paladin (or just somebody who revers them).

[Onward]

Hmm, interesting, this shall be my placeholder for now.

Character App Name: Haal Brasswood Race: Half-elf Sex and gender: Cis-M Alignment: Chaotic Good Basic concept: A well-to-do citizen that has unexpectedly found out to be quite exceptional in the roguish skills set, particularly the disguise kind. Background: Folk Hero Class: Rogue (Assassin) Your characters' goals: Just Wants to seek a paying job Your characters' story: Haal had a pretty simply and well-off life. He had a job as a carriage driver to a wealthy nobleman, had a pretty stable home, and his relationship status was, well it's not that important. All that is important is that he lived a pretty humble and peaceful life. That is until he butted in to a conflict of sorts. A Duke in league with some far off tyrant made some advances to the lady in the house and Haal, the idiot he was decided to intervene. The next moment his carriage was crash, along with the Duke and he was wanted for murder by the visiting Tyrannical ruler. However, he managed to safely bring the lady of the house back to her home thanks to some unexpected and natural rogue skills. Seeing as he was a wanted man among his kingdom, he decided to go on the ran and find a new paying job. But he had trouble finding a new carriage job, so he became an aspiring roguish adventurer all the while hiding from agents of a tyrannical ruler. Character sheet: https://www.rpgcrossing.com/profiler/view.php?id=90891

[ProjectLazarus]

Human variant: Yes. *Character creation of a Variant Human is the only time somebody may take a Feat.

Just clarifying, you mean that taking feats will NOT be an option at level up -- only ability score upgrade?

[Onward]

Pretty sure she meant you can only take a feat by variant human only.

[JohnStone]

introduction Larrisa Moonglade (Mood Music) Race: Human (Magic initiate druidVariant) Sex/Gender: Chaste Female Class: Cleric (Life) Alignment: Neutral Good Background: Acolyte Larissa hails from Silverymoon. A priestess of Selune and Lurue. Personality Trait: Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude. Personality Trait: I can find common ground between the fiercest enemies, empathizing with them and always working toward peace. Ideal: Charity. I always try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. Bond: A unicorn comes to me in my dreams guiding my destiny. Flaw: My piety sometimes leads me to blindly trust others

background Background: Larissa grew up in a humble family of moderate means. She and her younger brothers helped to raise the sheep and tend to the land like many in her village. However it was obvious Larissa was meant for something greater. Larissa was visited in her dreams by a celestial unicorn. So vivid and detailed where these dreams that she headed to nearby Silverymoon and the temple of Selune to learn more. Through prayer and teaching she learned that her dreams were a blessing and that the unicorn was an aspect of Lurue guiding her destiny. Following her divine guide she was drawn to Morain for reasons yet undiscovered. Character Goals: It is Larissa's destiny to spread the faith. To do good deeds, help others and be a beacon of hope.

[Onward]

And I'm done with my app

[Talissen70]

@girlplay sorry if i missed it but how do you want us to generate stats?

[Strange2099]

Tentatively placeholder...well, actually I'm definitely interested! It's just that I'll need to see if I can fit a 2-3x/week game in my schedule....