[D&D-5e-2024] In the Shadow of the Dragon

[Aisede]

Abigail WIP Name: Abigail Stonehollow Class: Cleric (Aspiring for Peace Domain) Age: 14 Species: Human Origin: Acolyte Alignment: True Neutral Appearance Abigail prefers to garb herself in common clothes, most typically a basic blue dress with a white pinafore. She finds wealthy clothes to be too... Formal, especially when the money that went into those clothes could have been leant to a more noble cause. For similar reasons, she prefers to go unshod, just as the poorest beggar (Another part, however, is comfort.) Background Following the precedent set by her mother, Elara, Abigail spends every waking hour of the day in service of her people; she cooks, she mends clothing and armor, she lends aid to the sick, and she listens to those in need of a friendly ear. Much of this she learned from her mother, often present during acts of charity. All of it she shares with people abroad, including the people of Willowrest. Aware of the tension the settlement must be under, Abigail has taken it upon herself to aid the people of Willowrest as she would her own. Part of this involves adhereing to the faith of the Nameless Ones, seeking to instill some semblance of balance between Ardenia and Eryndor, and preserving order within the hardy township. Personality Typically upbeat, with a positive outlook on life, Abigail can also be stern in the face of perceived wrongs, although she prefers to correct behavior with a gentle hand. Having been witness to acts of kindness by commoners, nobles, and even criminals, Abigail is convinced there is kindness in all people, and refuses to harm them– or any creature –in any way. Ideals: no matter how grim the outlook, balance can be found if effort is out in to achieve it. It is the natural state of the world to be balanced. Bonds: My parents mean a lot to me, as to the people of Ardenia. Both have taught me a lot over the years, and I wouldn't be the person I am today without them. I should repay that kindness at every opportunity. Flaws: Although I try to be grounded, and sympathize with those around me, I worry that my noble background is a barrier I may never cross, no matter how hard I try. At times, I struggle to connect with the common man, and insight fails me. Order,Creation,Destruction Above her faith in family, above her faith in people, is Abigail's faith in the Nameless Ones. Faith in a natural order, in which all things fall. Faith in the creation of good things; in love, in peace, in joy. Faith in the destruction of evil; in war, in conflict. And faith in order; in a world where people may pursue their passions without worry. That is the world she was shown through stories of the gods, and it is a world she wishes to bring about

[Admin Bhelogan]

The World Info thread has been updated with a regional map, and info on the Stonehollow and Valewind families.

[jr1v3]

Character Application Name: Thomas Lancaster Class: Bard (Yeah, I want to be the Skill monkey of the party!Future Lore subclass) Age: 18 Species: Human Origin: Wayfarer Alignment: Neutral Good. Backstory Thomas was one of many children known as the Forgotten Ones, casualties of the relentless war between Ardenia and Eryndor. His childhood was marred by tragedy; the only child of a humble farming family, he witnessed their lives shattered by brutal raids from Ardenia, all part of their attempts to seize control of the territory that surrounded the Granite Crag Mountain. The remnants of his home—a churned mass of earth where his house once stood, alongside the ruins of the barn and fields—were all that remained of his past. Yet, amid this devastation, he clung to his mother’s cherished saying: "To those in whom love dwells, the whole world is but one family", which fueled his resolve to find a new place to live. His mother’s words evoked within young Thomas a relentless desire to change his fate and to keep living despite his losses. His life as an orphan began when he sought refuge in the town of Willowrest, armed with nothing but a gnawing hunger and an earnest wish to rebuild his life. He quickly became part of a larger family: a band of street children who roamed the cobbled streets in search of food and opportunities. Days turned into nights filled with freezing temperatures, where he slept on the cold ground of dark alleys, battling the pangs of an empty stomach. These harsh experiences forged Thomas’s young mind into a cauldron of creativity and resilience. He became what many referred to as an odd jobber, constantly brainstorming ways to earn coins for survival. From delivery boy to smuggler, sometimes acting as a mediator or even an entertainer, Thomas accumulated a wealth of knowledge and skills that allowed him to build a network of contacts throughout Willowrest—a place where politics thrived—and became an integral part of his life. His simple desire was to fulfill his mother’s proverb: to transform this town into a place he loved—a true family that he so desperately needed. As the years passed, his reputation blossomed. Welcomed as a charismatic bard with a tendency to bring peace and defuse conflict among common folks. He decided to enlist in the Opal Guard ranks, hoping to use his unique abilities to defuse rising tensions between warring factions and maintain fragile relations with the local kobolds. In his heart, burned a tiny ember—a yearning that propelled his life: to rise from humble beginnings and guide others toward a future devoid of intrigues and ambitions that threaten the happiness of his precious townsfolk and friends alike. He dreamed of building a place for the Forgotten Ones—a sanctuary they could call home—an orphanage that would fill their empty bellies and inspire dreams of a brighter future. With this new opportunity before him, Thomas stood at a crossroads. As he prepared for this pivotal moment in his life, he reflected on his mother’s words, feeling their weight more than ever. With determination in his heart, Thomas was ready to step into this new role, knowing that the words he spoke would resonate with love and could bring people together.

[A7ice]

@ Admin Bhelogan
I believe Enei is done. I had prepared a shorter bio but I thought why the hell not

[jr1v3]

@A7ice, I love your character background. Regarding the monk, they improved the unarmed damage dice so now you can do 1d6 damage instead 1d4 so it is a great improve. Also, and martial weapon with light property is also a monk weapon so you can get a scimitar too!

The ki points are focus points and you recover in short and long rest instead long rest only and when you roll initiative, you gain all your focus points. So you can use more any focus abilities like patience defense, flurry blows and any subclass feature that require it. THe shadow warrior should be awesome with this, using darkness spell! OH YEAH!!!

Now Deflect arrow became deflect attack so any non magical attack can be reduced with reaction and if reduce it you 0, you can redirect part of the damage to another enemy at 5 feet like a jackie chan attack, just expending 1 focus point. Pretty great if you ask me and that is only at level 3, it becomes great in the next levels

[BurrowingOwl]

I found my idea starting to resemble my last character on RPGX more and more, so I thought I might as well repurpose her, since the first game she was in had to close down.

Application Name: Mira Valewind Species: Human Class: Fighter (aiming for Battle Master) Background: Soldier Alignment: Chaotic Good Backstory: Mira is the rebellious and headstrong daughter of Duke Ellisar Valewind, the child of one of the redoubtable nobleman's previous marriages. Ever the wild child of the family, Mira neglected her schooling in the arts and etiquette befitting a nobleman's daughter, preferring instead to spend her days playing soldier and getting in brawls with common street urchins... and, once she got a little older, getting up to another kind of mischief entirely with the servant boys around the Valewind estate. No amount of lecturing or dressing down from her exasperated father the Duke could convince his hellion of a daughter to mend her ways. Some among the servants even whispered (although never where the Duke could hear) that Mira - the only child of a particularly brief and ill-starred marriage to an entirely unsuitable young bride - had a bit too much of her mother in her. It didn't help matters that the current Duchess Valewind was young enough to be Mira's sister, and Mira treated both the match and her hapless mother-in-law with barely-veiled contempt - or that she doted on her young half-siblings by the match, leading their mother to sniff at the poor example she set them. About the only responsibility that could hold Mira's attention was her training with the sword, which she took to with a fierce and rather unladylike glee. Like several of her elder half-siblings, she trained in the arts of war from a young age... but unlike the Duke's other, better-behaved children, Mira's fiery temperament and scorn for the Duke's authority made her unsuited to a career in Eryndor's army or in the retinue of House Valewind. Instead, after a particularly fierce row with her father, she abandoned House Valewind and fled to the southern frontier, with nothing save her blade, the clothes on her back, and a sack of coin lifted from the house steward's petty cash. The steward no doubt fumed, but Duke Valewind considered it a bargain to be rid of his troublesome daughter at so little a cost. Or so he declared. On the frontier, Mira soon fell in with the Iron Wolves, a disreputable mercenary company guarding merchant caravans from goblin bands or fighting in the squabbles of whatever minor noble house could pay them. She took to the sellsword's life, learning from the Wolves a kind of soldiering distinctly less refined than any her father would have approved of. But she learned more than rough living and dirty fighting from them - sellswords, scavengers, adventurers as they were, the Wolves were loyal to their own, from the lowliest recruit to the hardened veterans in command. Fighting alongside them, Mira found the adventure and camaraderie that she’d never known in the stifling confines of the Valewind estate, and learned to see the feuds of kings and nobles not from their lofty perspective, but from that of the commoners on whom they trod. She would be fighting with the Iron Wolves still, had not one such feuding noble sent the Iron Wolves into a disastrous rout, using the mercenaries as cannon fodder in an ill-conceived battle that quickly became a massacre. Mira was one of the few survivors of the shattered company to limp away from the field. With her comrades and commander dead, and no immediate prospect of revenge on the enemy who slew them or the employer who betrayed them, Mira has returned home to Willowrest - not to mend fences with her father, but to volunteer for the Opal Guard. Though she’d sooner leap in a black dragon’s maw than bend her knee to the Duke once more, Willowrest is still her home, its people still hers… and if she is ever to rise in the world while rejecting her noble birthright, or to be avenged upon the Iron Wolves’ betrayers, then the Opal Guard is her only chance.

[Lentil Sponge]

@Admin Bhelogan - I'm tentatively interested, depending on how well I can wrap my head around DnD2024 (I'm admittedly a 3.5 veteran so it's just an adjustment)

As a question, though, how would you feel about a kobold sorcerer or a rogue? What are the kobolds of Granite Crag like, and are there other tribes who would work against the Granite Crag tribe or something? Just to get ideas spinning.

[Admin Bhelogan]

Originally Posted by Lentil Sponge

@Admin Bhelogan - I'm tentatively interested, depending on how well I can wrap my head around DnD2024 (I'm admittedly a 3.5 veteran so it's just an adjustment)

Coming from 3.5 to 5E (and the updated 2024 rules), has quite a few changes, from how saving throws work, combat actions combine, spells, etc. I can't go into great detail, because I skipped 3 and 3.5, going from 2e to 5e. If you have access to the PHB though, you can work through it.

Originally Posted by Lentil Sponge

As a question, though, how would you feel about a kobold sorcerer or a rogue? What are the kobolds of Granite Crag like, and are there other tribes who would work against the Granite Crag tribe or something? Just to get ideas spinning.

Originally Posted by Admin Bhelogan

...No Kobold characters...

I'll just add that monsters can have classes, and abilities tied to classes. For this game though, we are sticking to the 10 races in the 2024 PHB.

[RossN]

Tasmara Ren Name: Tasmara Ren Species: Human Class: Wizard Background: Criminal Alignment: Chaotic Good Backstory: Tasmara was once an apprentice to a famous mage in a nearby city whose passion for magic and insatiable curiosity was, alas, equaled by a love of low company in dubious taverns and dice games in gambling dens. One thing led to another and an ill-thought out attempt to steal a magic artefact from the famous mage led to being caught red handed. In the circumstances the young mage was very fortunate to be dismissed as a student and Geased to walk all the way to the next city and never return. A few days later and a (very footsore) Tasmara arrived in Willowrest. Suitably chastened - for the moment - Tasmara decided to make the best of a bad situation and start anew. Adopting a new name, new look and gender identity* she ended up joining the Opal Guard, hoping to earn coin legitimately and test her magical skills along with wetting her curiosity. Still... she does still have that streak in her that itches to make wagers and run a con or too. Maybe she can resist it with a mystery or two! *Tasmara is genderfluid but currently goes under She/Her pronouns and identifies as a woman, using minor magical charms to help her appearance. As an apprentice she was more identifying as a male. Besides wanting a fresh start she has realised some of the nastier elements she owes money too will be looking for a male wizard...

[samuelmage]

Name: Suirad
Class: Barbarian
Origin: Half-Orc - Outlander

I am Brazilian.
Disregard any spelling errors.

Suirad, the Half-Orc from Granite Crag Mountain

Suirad was seven years old when Fred, a human priest and his guardian, told him about the chaos ravaging the world, the destruction of his tribe, and the devastating impact of the wars. On that day, after learning about the tragic fate of his group, a dark voice echoed in young Suirad’s mind: “You lived to kill,” whispered Gruumsh, the orcish god. Fury and terror overtook his eyes, revealing the potential for brutality that the small half-orc carried within him.

The Past: Seeds of Destruction

Seven years earlier, a tribe of nomadic orcs and half-orcs, rejected by civilizations struggling to rebuild, wandered through the chaos left by the war. Rejected due to the savagery and arrogance of their own people, they survived by looting and enslaving other groups. Eventually, the tribe found a vast forest at the foot of Granite Crag Mountain, a place they deemed perfect to begin building their new horde. However, that very night, their camp was ambushed by a ruthless band of raiders, killing most of the orc warriors.

Amid the destruction, the elder orcs, in an act of desperation and survival instinct, hid their babies in a buried chest. After a day, a half-orc baby was found alive by a group of hunters who had slain the wolves feeding on the remains of the fallen orcs. Deciding to rescue the small survivor, they named him Suirad (Darius, spelled backward), in honor of the half-orc Darius, a member of their group who had died in battle. Though he seemed like a simple orc at first glance, over time they realized he was a half-orc, with a mind and soul torn between his brutal heritage and the environment in which he grew up.

The Journey: The Guardian and the Voices

Suirad was raised by Fred, the priest who had rescued him. Fred, who had a special bond with Darius, became a father figure to Suirad, teaching him the principles of morality and ethics in hopes of curbing the latent rage that the half-orc carried. However, Suirad always heard the voices of Gruumsh, urging him toward violence and vengeance. Fred was the only person capable of calming him and preventing him from fully succumbing to the fury. As the years passed, Suirad developed a fierce desire to hunt and punish criminals, projecting his hatred onto those whom the world deemed merciless.

Despite communication difficulties — the result of a wolf bite he suffered as a baby, which deformed his head and affected his cognitive abilities — Suirad learned the basics of life in a community. Still, he always carried within him a murderous instinct, a primal rage that Fred feared might never be fully suppressed.

The Present: The Path to the Opal Guard

Now 23, Suirad continues to wander with Fred and his group of adventurers. However, recently, fate brought him to the town of Willowrest, located at the foot of the imposing Granite Crag Mountain, the setting of his lost childhood. The tense atmosphere of the town, divided between the factions of Ardenia and Eryndor, made him realize something he had never considered before: true strength was not just in destruction but in protection.

Fred, always wise, suggested that perhaps Suirad could find a new purpose in the Opal Guard, a group tasked with maintaining peace in Willowrest. The idea of protecting the town while maintaining fragile relations with the kobolds of the mountain resonated within him. Something about that mountain — perhaps destiny — made him feel an inexplicable connection to the place. Suirad saw in the Opal Guard a chance to channel his rage and desire for justice in a constructive way.

And so, motivated both by his debt to Fred and his desire to find a purpose beyond simple fury and vengeance, Suirad decided to enlist in the Opal Guard. He carries with him his axe, his heart torn between violence and protection, and his fierce desire to confront any threat, be it from the mountain, the realms, or from within himself.

[jr1v3]

@Admin Bhelogan, I think my character is ready. I wanted to play an orphan earnest that raise from the common ranks and struggle to help his new home. A optimistic guy that defuse any tension with his peculiar way of taking any good from bad things.

Reagadrding my backstory, do you find anything that could be improved or any lore I need to include that I wasn't aware about it?

[Admin Bhelogan]

Originally Posted by jr1v3

@Admin Bhelogan, I think my character is ready. I wanted to play an orphan earnest that raise from the common ranks and struggle to help his new home. A optimistic guy that defuse any tension with his peculiar way of taking any good from bad things.

Reagadrding my backstory, do you find anything that could be improved or any lore I need to include that I wasn't aware about it?

Looks good to me. I'll note the Granite Craig is not the name of the whole range, but the large mountain specifically that towers over Willowrest. The mountain range, at the moment, is unnamed, but that would be where the skirmishes your background mentions took place / were over.

In general though, I don't part through backgrounds too much. Anything that needs to be adjusted, I usually handle AFTER characters have been accepted. I also like characters to have some room for growth (and background development) as the game proceeds. Thus a super long and detailed background is not as good in my opinion as a medium length one that sets a character up to be interesting, but not overly filled out.

[purplerook]

OOC I swore I wouldn't pay the bucks for the 2024 PHB. The West Marches GMs are committed to keeping The West Marches campaign 2014. However, the detail of your world info (and many questions about how the various pieces of the 2024 rules interacted) has seduced me. Below, I've written Claude (aka Pen) to be a retainer of Duke Ellisar Valewind. I was your conversation with BurrowingOwl. This would mean having a PC representing or at least with a link to the two factions. If that doesn't work, I can tweak Claude's backstory to be more generic.

Application Name: Claude Quill (Pen to his friends) Class: Wizard Origin: Human Scribe Background Story: Claude was the youngest of five in his family. His father was a scribe - a minor functionary/bureaucrat of the Eryndor Court. His father had gotten Claude's older three brothers positions as scribes, the eldest with the Royal Court, one with a noble in the Court, and the third with a prominent merchant. Trained as a scribe, Claude should have followed his family's heritage and secured a safe - if utterly boring - position as a scribe. However, Claude found that he had a magic skill, which led to his training in magic. Claude could still have gotten a position as a court wizard for one of the local nobles. However, Claude had a secret vice - bardic songs. Whenever Claude could, he would steal away from his work or studies to frequent a tavern, not for the drinking or wenching, but to listen to ballads of noble deeds done by heroes. To his family's surprise (and horror), Claude applied and was accepted as the tutor and court wizard for Duke Ellisar Valewind. While Claude had dreams of adventure, he wasn't quite prepared for what awaited him in the small town of Willowrest. The dueling powers of Duke Ellisar and Baron Stonehollow had decided that they needed a representative in the Opal Guard and who better to secure a position and represent the Duke than a Wizard, his Wizard. While Claude has dreamed of being a hero, he has no experience actually fighting. Character Art: A picture is TBD, but I think I'll use a stylized pen/Quill for a token. The exact image is also TBD.

[Admin Bhelogan]

Originally Posted by purplerook

I swore I wouldn't pay the bucks for the 2024 PHB.

Ha ha! To be fair, I said the same thing. I didn't want to give WoTC any more money. But then... I couldn't resist getting a pre-order discount on the physical/digital bundle for all the core rulebooks. $ per hour spent with D&D still ends up being one of my cheapest hobbies.

[purplerook]

Originally Posted by Admin Bhelogan

Ha ha! To be fair, I said the same thing. I didn't want to give WoTC any more money. But then... I couldn't resist getting a pre-order discount on the physical/digital bundle for all the core rulebooks. $ per hour spent with D&D still ends up being one of my cheapest hobbies.

Yes, in terms of dollars per hour, RPing (even WotC) is an incredible value. I avoided all of the pre-release discounts. Now, I cheaped out and got only the Digital version.

I like how the classes, backgrounds, and even races mesh better. For me, the biggie is the Origin Feat. They've allowed Feats to influence 1st level characters while moving the OP Feats (e.g., Heavy Armor Master, Polearm Mastery) back to 4th level where they were initially intended to be.