Application Review for Halfling Wizard

[Karlos]

Hi everyone,

I am new to DnD and have just created my first character, which is a Lightfoot Halfling Wizard. I am looking for advice and feedback on how you feel about the character and more importantly on whether I have set up the character sheet correctly. Below is the character application. Thanks in advance!

Merric Leagallow, Lightfoot Halfling Wizard Name: Merric Leagallow Age: 21 Class: Wizard Race: Lightfoot Halfling Alignment: Neutral Good Physical Description: Standing at two feet ten inches tall and weighing thirty-nine pounds, the small Halfling has deep olive skin from his days of playing in the outdoors and curly brown hair that is short and neat. His face is cleanly shaved and is often seen with big googly eyes that are constantly looking around. Merric wears common clothes that reflect his humble upbringing in the countryside, and often carries with him a small glass jar labeled "Griffon Grease". The Halfling can sometimes be seen looking at the contents of the jar with a hint of determination in his eyes. Personality: A high sense of curiosity and wanderlust drives Merric into venturing out from his comfortable home in order to explore the world around him. The Halfling tends to either be easily distracted by his surroundings or become so engrossed in something that he becomes oblivious to the world around him. Merric is constantly finding new things to amuse himself with and prefers action over careful planning. His happy-go-lucky attitude had earned him the title as the "easily excitable airhead". Background Story:   "For Merric, what enticed him to the wizard class is not the great power that comes with it, nor the wonderful stories of famous magic users. Merric is simply too occupied with what is happening in the present to either contemplate about what he might become in the future or delve into rich histories of the past. For the Lightfoot Halfling, magic simply means a vast array of different spells to discover, coupled with flashy colors and effects to stimulate his senses." Like many other Lightfoot Halflings, Merric Leagallow prefers to keep things practical, to indulge in life's simple pleasures, and never passing up the opportunity for a good hearty meal followed by a refreshing drink to wash it down. However, even by Hafling standards, Merric has an exceptional level of curiosity since young. He is easily delighted by everything and anything that is new to him, so much so that one may even view him as an overly excitable airhead. When Merric first ate a mushroom at the age of eight, he hopped up and down in excitement before running two laps around his house, combing through the grass in search of wild mushrooms, only to return home after his mother angrily shouted at him to return to the dinner table and finish his meal. It is due to this high level of curiosity which borders on recklessness that caused the Halfling to not shy away when he encountered a magical rock in the forest a few years later. One day when Merric was thirteen years old, the Hafling went out hiking in the woods located not far away from home. It had just rained that morning and Merric was enjoying the slushy sound of wet leaves under his feet and smelling the wonderful smell of slightly damp soil when he came across a light blue rock the size of an adult Halfling. The rock was hidden under the shade of a tree and half covered with green moss. The Halfling felt strangely drawn towards the rock and as he walked closer, he saw that the rock seemed to be emitting a strange aura. The air around the rock appeared to be vibrating, the way which air in the hot deserts vibrate when the sun is blazing overhead, even though the rock is resting in the shade and the forest weather is anything but hot and dry. Any other Lightfoot Halfling would have been content with just looking at the rock from afar, preferring not to disturb such a strange object in fear of arousing the unknown. However, Merric could not be satisfied with just looking at it without feeling its texture under his skin. As Merric reached out his hand, he could hear voices whispering in unrecognizable tongues inside his head. The voices seemed to be whispering all over each other at once, making it impossible to tell what was being said even if Merric understood the language. Feeling intrigued by this bizarre occurrence, the little Halfling extended his hand further out and lightly brushed his fingers against the rock's smooth exterior. Images of strange creatures and unfamiliar places immediately flashed through his mind like a picture book being flipped through at a rate far too fast for anyone to look at the contents within. Yet somehow, the strange images felt familiar and even nostalgic to Merric as though they were memories from another lifetime. While Merric may never understand what exactly happened during that strange hike in the forest, the experience has since then remained in his mind, sometimes replaying again at night when the Lightfoot sleeps. Unbeknownst to him, it was his first encounter with magic and he now has latent abilities that will be awakened when the time is right. When Merric reached adulthood, he decided to venture out and explore the wonderful world filled with unknowns waiting to be discovered. Equipped with a heavy dose of optimism and wanderlust, Merric leaves the comfort of his home and steps out into the world. Character Sheet: http://www.rpgcrossing.com/profiler/view.php?id=75493

On a side note, does anyone know of any website where I can search for a picture for the character avatar?

[Begon Ugo]

Hello! Sorry I did not have time to read the full app yet. As to your last question however, I have found that the best idea is to just do a google image search. The best pictures I find to come from Pinterest.

[Karlos]

Hi Begon, thanks for stopping by!

Actually, now that I really think about it, maybe a picture wouldn't be necessary. It is very difficult to find a picture that fits the image of the Merric in my mind. I should probably try to flesh out more physical descriptions with just words instead. What is the general stance on this issue? Are DMs usually fine with the lack of pictures or will it hinder my application?

[Begon Ugo]

From my experience most Dm's do appreciate a picture. Some do make it a requirement. I find it does help make the experience more immersive if I have a picture for reference. Be creative in what you search for. I have found some great ones by looking for fantasy portraits...don't just search for male halflings

In your application make sure you do not switch tenses. I am by no means a writing expert but I did notice it a few times. Good luck!

[Berith]

I'm not sure if just anyone is welcome to chime in here, so please feel free to disregard these comments.

This is a well-crafted application. Spelling and grammar are excellent, and I particularly note excellent use of varied adjectives. The character is vivid and interesting.

If I were considering this as a DM, I would have one concern. Wizardry takes years and years of intense, focused study, and this character is portrayed as being the opposite of intense and focused. The app says that he has "latent abilities that will be awakened when the time is right".

To me, this character is a sorcerer, not a wizard. Other than that, it is a very solid app.

[Karlos]

Thank you for your encouraging comments and reading through the application, Berith!

I wasn't aware of the different types of magic classes when I first wrote the application. After consulting the PHB I am inclined to agree that Merric is indeed a Sorcerer, not a Wizard. I am now looking forward to see what adventures he will face in the future

[Huehuecoyotl]

Originally Posted by Karlos

Hi Begon, thanks for stopping by!

Actually, now that I really think about it, maybe a picture wouldn't be necessary. It is very difficult to find a picture that fits the image of the Merric in my mind. I should probably try to flesh out more physical descriptions with just words instead. What is the general stance on this issue? Are DMs usually fine with the lack of pictures or will it hinder my application?

Many DMs create tokens from the pic to use on battle maps- I for one certainly do.

But that varies from Dm to DM.

[TheFenrir]

So, in my mind I would

Name, and assign a sketch of some personality to, relatives and friends. You are who you know. His mom is a good start. See if you can work these into some plot hooks for the DM. Examples: He was inspired by X. He had a rival? A love? Etc...

So he is curious. and easily distracted. What other personality traits does he have? Good, bad, or just odd?

Hobbies or interests besides magic? Put some skill points in these. Maybe if he grew up was a farming village he has some skills to reflect this?

Ordinarily I would list some short term and long term goals, but he seems just to care about the now so that is probably good enough.

I ended up doing a newbie adventure on site to get familar with all the features and one link that came with that from Xian (DM) was this. Worth a read.

>>
A favorite tool of mine is the famous/infamous 10 Minute Background which helps you to create character apps that are memorable and more importantly gives something DM to sink their teeth into to weave into their games.

Here is the link to the run down of the 10 Minute Background..
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