[D&D-5e] Edge of the Astral

[silveroak]

Game Name Edge of the Astral

Game System DnD 5e

Theme Endless Struggle

Flavour "Fearless ampire Hunters" meets "Star Trek: Lower Decks"

Plot Summary Abbados is a plane which originated from the sphere of the prime material, but resides now more in the astral plane. It is a common target of demons which are easily summoned there and in millennia past the geography of the plane has been transformed by Demon Lords snatching a section of land to drag into the abyss. It is believed the land grows back, but the struggle continues. Infernal cults rule most of the civilized lands, divided up into one kingdom per Lord of Hell. Haven sits in the middle of this- the city of the gods. Seven gods (Lallana, daughter of Shuggus, Hektor, son of Arain, Uri, son of Ilta, Ma’li, daughter of Tai Shun, Luje, child of Kel, Mudy, daughter of Wudal, and Ook, son of Hachang) have set up part time residence and temples in the city, which is ruled by a mayor they have selected. Characters begin at level 1. The game will follow the goals and lives of up to six characters which begin in Haven. Plot will be character driven, but it is not a sandbox. The following classes are allowed: Artificer: all subclasses Barbarian: no path of the zealot Bard:no college of glamour, Cleric:all subclasses Druid:no circle of dreams, subclasses Fighter: no psi warrior, Monk: all subclasses Paladin: All subclasses Ranger:no fey wanderer Rogue:no soulknife Sorcerer:no clockwork soul, only chromatic draconic lineages Warlock: no archfey patron, no genie patron, Wizard: any subclasses "all" refers to subclasses found in the 2014 players handbook, Xanathars, or Tasha's Allowed species are:human, elf, gnome, halfling, tiefling, chromatic dragonborn, half elf, half orc, orc, goblins, yuan ti, kobolds, dwarves, Goliath, Kenku, Lizardfolk, Tabaxi, Tritons, Bugbears, deep gnomes, changelings, Duergar, hobgoblins, Kenku, sea elves, Shadar-kai, shifter, and tortles Variant humans are not allowed. Backgrounds will be worked out as part of character creation, and will consist of 2 general abilities, 1 tool proficiency or language, 1 single point stat bonus (in addition to racial bonuses) and 1 feat. While you may propose what you believe will fit the actual assignments are up to the DM. A certain amount of vagueness is allowed in assigning a background to indicate what your goals are in the process (for example "something in patient care that will give me the medic feat") In addition to the character's class, species, and background I want a paragraph or two describing the character themselves- what their goals are, who they know (living family, chosen family, etc.) and what drives them. This can include a narrative scene from their past. I will take applications until Oct 15, though discussion and session zero work may postpone some decisions in terms of final acceptance. For those who have looked at Carlsport this is a very different game- no wiki, no complicated background, no social combat system, just character driven stories with some fighting thrown in.

[Nade]

Will the characters be starting at level 1?

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yes

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I realize level 1 characters seem weak and squishy, but I am doing this to get character advancement from the begininng, and plan to advance rapidly. For this game I plan to award 10 xp for every post which advances character development or plot. As example:
"Sure sounds good" - no points.

I consider the plan and don't have anything to add. "Sure, sounds good" I say as I stand up ready to follow the group into action. - 10 points

Posts made exclusively about combat, or to cover mechanical aspects of the game will not qualify.

Additionally I will award tactical points- for example if you need to get an item from the castle vault and the castle is protected by 1000 veterans then getting the item and getting away to where the veterans are not pursuing you is worth 700,000 points even if you seduce the cook to come in the back door, slip a sleeping potion in the food given to the vault watch, pick the lock and get out before anyone knows you are there without striking a single blow.
On the other hand I can promise you that any castle guarded by 1,000 veterans will not actually be *that* ridiculously easy to break into. It does serve as a simple example however.

[penbeast0]

The Stars My Destination Name: Chak Ek (translates to Red Planet which refers to Venus, not Mars, ) Race: Kenku Class: Druid Gender: Builder Alignment: L/N   Trait 1: I'm willing to listen to every side of an argument before I make my own judgment. Trait 2: I am tolerant of other faiths and respect the worship of other gods. Ideal: Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral) Bond: I sold my soul for knowledge. I hope to win it back. Flaw: I tend to complicate things, even ones that should be simple. Appearance: Even in his ritual robes with the green mask of a temple scribe, Chak Ek is not an imposing figure. Under 5 feet in height, slightly built, with clerkish affectations and mannerisms, he is not going to dominate a room. His voice, when not imitating others, is flat and affectless, almost robotic in nature. He dreams of power and majesty, but does not seem to pursue them with conviction. Personality: Precise, detail oriented, Chak Ek is a born functionary. As such he fit in well with the temple bureaucracy but feels a bit lost now that he has fled that life and become an adventurer. Adventurers are supposed to be flamboyant, impulsive, not dryly compulsive. Maybe he can develop a sense of humor. It was frowned upon in the temple; but he is free to make his own rules now. He just isn't sure what they should be. Backstory: Worshipping a demon cult isn't something Chak gravitated to; more something he was born into. His little piece of Abbados was controlled by a demon that took on the legend of the Great Flying Snake, Quetzalcoatl. The pyramids of his servants dotted the landscape, their steps stained with blood. As a smart young man, Chak Ek was naturally drafted in the bureaucracy of worship. But, as he worked his way into the higher orders of the bureaucracy (not in a supervisory capacity but as a valued clerk for his memory and ability to focus on detail), he was sickened by the excess and corruption of the cult leaders. So, when the opportunity came during one of the wars between cults that characterize the land, he took flight (well, walked of course, Kenku can't fly) and headed for the City of Haven to lose himself hoping that they would just assume he had been killed or captured for sacrifice.

[silveroak]

While I have not yet defined an astronomy or astrology for this world it will not be the same as Earth (neither will city names) o "red planet" is fine, and even one closer to the sun than (we can stick with Earth for convenience) it will not specifically be a planet from the RL solar system.

[Greyling]

Application   Name: Markhor "Kore" Race: Tiefling Class: Ranger (Monster Slayer) Background: Soldier Personality Traits: I enjoy being strong and breaking things.   I face problems head-on. A simple, direct solution is the best path to success. Bond: My honor is my life. Ideal: Nation/Faction. My city, nation, or people are all that matter. Flaw: The monstrous enemy we faced in battle still leaves me quivering with fear. Appearance: wip Personality: wip Backstory: Works for a Monster Hunters/Slayers guild, the 'Red Union' I want a paragraph or two describing the character themselves- what their goals are, who they know (living family, chosen family, etc.) and what drives them