Character Thread

Any ideas about your character should go here. Characters should start off at level 5 or 6500xp. Well thought out background nets 1000xp. Preferably something with substance, not just a wall of text.

I've got several ideas for a Monk, but knowing a bit more about the setting would help a bit here. :-) Is Agartha from a published setting, or is it homebrew? In any case, what's going on in the world at large? How much can we add details, organisations etc to the setting as we create our characters?

Agartha is a homebrew city of my friend's design. I'll start a thread with its info and the world at large here: http://gamersplane.com/forums/thread/666/

The basics are Agartha is a merchant city where money is law and the world at large is in upheaval due to a recent consolidation of power by the Mountain Dwarf Abjuration specialist, Grigori. Him and his Crow Rider enforcers flit about the world in full plate on the backs of giant crows. Not everyone loves him but very few find it easy to oppose him or his informants.

I would use those walls of text as an inspiration for ideas but anything and everything fits. In terms of what is possible, I would say not much is sacred. If you want to be something from outside of Agartha's purview, I would just make up a neighboring town or countryside. As long as your adjustments to the fabric of reality are not game breaking or give your person too much of an advantage, I'd say go for it. I play a monk in this world who's clan was wiped out by a Blackwheel mercenery who stole my wood elf clan's ninjitsu style and now, between adventures, I hunt that person down to avenge the Nightbreeze Ninjas. If you wanted to make a Lucha monk or a pankration monk or a man of Tai Chi, it's really up to you.

Shimazu and the hobgoblins are based more around Japanese culture replete with samurai and ninja elements. If you want, they oppress a city of goblins that are more based around Chinese culture and a folk hero from their ranks would surely have some insider knowledge. I don't want to give too much away about what you'll be walking into but it has a high Eastern Asia feel mixed with unbalanced race relations. Watch something like 13 Assassins, When the Last Sword is Drawn, or Seven Samurai if you want to get a feel for where you're going.

That's really helpful - I'll let my various "monk" ideas mix themselves around with what you've said, and see what pops out. Also really excited about a Japanese theme, with potential for Chinese elements if desired.

One further thing to check:
Do you mean in your friend's game, or are you going to be playing a GM PC?

In my friend's game. No DMPC for me. I get enough of the little nobbins running around in the adventure.

Sorry one more question: Is the tone of the game light or serious or anything goes? I have two different monk concepts pushing themselves forwards: A gnome monk way of shadows (lighthearted) and an earth genasi monk one of the other two ways (more serious and badass).

I don't want to dictate your tone. I'm sure that light hearted folk exist somewhere in the world but I would say that the game is probably more serious. It will ask you what type of hero you really are.

I've read the setting materials more carefully now. I think to start with I misunderstood - our initial mission is against a Japanese-themed set of hobgoblins, but Agartha is more of a typical (ie "European") D&D city, right? So if I were to be a monk, I would be an outsider in Agartha - maybe hired as a guide, or someone who knows the culture of the place we're going to? Perhaps from a rival monastery to the Daimyo's hobgoblins? Or would that give too much of the plot away to start with?

I'm wondering if it might not be better for me to go with the plot hooks from the Agartha text, and forget about a monk idea for now...

I was also looking forward to playing an Oriental-flavored character. I also wanted to play a monk but Harlandski beat me to it hehe!

I don't know - we could still both play monks. Either two very different ones, or two travelling together in a pair from a distant land. For some reason I'm thinking we came by sea. (Maybe I just like the sailor background). Maybe we could be more Chinese style as opposed to the Japanese style hobgoblins. More graceful and unpredictable.

Imagination running wild: From a monastery ship which is currently harboured in Agartha. Sent on this mission to prove worth (and maybe do a bit of spying).

You can be whatever you want from wherever you want. Looks like we're getting a bit physical since I had another player submit an off site character sheet for a glaive fighter.

You are correct about Agartha being your more prototypical European port city in appearance. The party is heading towards a more East Asian influenced mission. I love monks and won't dictate that you can't be one. The Blackwheel Co., amoral as it is, brings fighters in from everywhere if that's the background hook you're looking for. You are right thinking that it is a port city and that leads to having many different types even if the town is mostly human. You could play a Mousefolk Shaman if you wanted (rules for both were found via reddit/r/dndnext/) and it would still make sense. Don't burden yourselves too much by trying to stay within constraints. Be what you want to be.

Proposed character is Ai Shan, a human(variant) barbarian. He hails from an archipelago in the northern(or southern?) polar region and spent his youth fishing and hunting the sea's bounty. His people are hardy, self-reliant, seafaring warriors used to living off the sea with a few groups engaging in outright piracy on the sea and the occasional coastal raid. He visited Agartha numerous times over the years selling skins, furs, meat, blubber and some ill-gotten merchandise. The attraction of the city and it's opportunities outside the tribe drew him in, so he took his giant sabre and javelins and started taking jobs in the city. Ai Shan has spent the last several years as an adventurer and mercenary for a number of groups who have a presence in Agartha, not all of which are, strictly speaking, legal.

He has no quarrel with this Shimazu, but attacking a mountain fortress like his is too attractive a target to pass up...

I love your monastery ship idea! But I can't let go of my image of a mountain monastery monk (even though it's super cliché). Chinese style for sure! Way of the Open Hand.

The monastery ship does sound cool, but always a place in my heart for super cliche Shaolin Monk stuff.

Southern region. The land down there is mostly controlled by frost giant clerics of Wee Jas so they are definitely hardy self reliant peoples.

Also does this mean you are taking the Sailor background?

Also, and I don't mean to sway your decision one way or another since the extra feat from human is on the awesome side, but the Goliath character race from the Elemental Evil Player's Companion fits this character very well. Something to consider.

Over all though, this is pretty solid. If you wanna draft a character sheet, flesh out the background with some personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws (you can pick some straight from the book or come up with your own), and then send that my way for approval, we'll get Ai Shan on his way.

I'll start a different thread for the Backgrounds and we can keep this thread to character ideas and parameters.

Yes, sailor background. I don't know much about Goliaths, I just downloaded the EE players companion a little while ago. Maybe the race description will change my mind. I've always preferred human characters, though.

Do you know what - go for it - play the Shaolin monk! :-) I couldn't quite get the right combo of monkishness for this particular game, but I've come up with another idea I like more...

I used to always play the healer in D&D, and I've spent too long avoiding that cliche - playing everything but the healer, that I think it's now ok for me to return to that familiar role!

However, I'm going to mix things up a bit, especially as EE has got the green light.

So now I'm looking at a Water Genasi, a druid with the sailor background. I'll admit that I stole the the druid/sailor from therpgacademy.com, but I'm putting my own spin on it - rather than land near water, I want water itself to be his domain, hooking up with the elemental parentage thing. But for rules purposes: Circle of the Land (Coast): I'll work things up a bit more then post my character and background.

Hey gang, checking in for the first time. I'm really liking what has been discussed so far. I had a bit of paralisis of choice when I first sat down to make a character, but I think I've settled on a race/class/feel but I'm open to suggestions still.

My concept is Kildrak Staken, a Mountain Dwarf Warlock. He is a member of a typical dwarven clan that controls a mining operation that supplies ore and precious metals. They are respectable and reasonably wealthy as a clan, but not particularly powerful in the political realm because the patriarch just doesn't care to be more involved with the outside world than the clan's needs demand. My character is a nobody in the clan, he has ambition but no means to acheive those ambitions, until he meets his patron. Digging deep in the mines a nearly perfect round shaft that had been sealed off. Some worried it was a lava tube and that the mountain might actually be a volcano that had not erupted yet. Chosen by the foreman to be part of the team that investigated the tunnel, Kildrak and three others descended. At the bottom they found a wall that spoke. The voice in the darkness drove the rest of the party insane with its promises of death and foul acts it swore to visit upon the people responsible for its imprisonment. When it realized Kildrak was there it offered a deal. The thing behind the wall would give Kildrak all the power he desired, eventually making him king of Montebanc, or even the world if Kildrak had the stomach for it. Kildrak was reluctant, what could the being do trapped in the deep mountain? The being made a deal with Kildrak and infused him with dark powers.Now Kildrak is getting his desires. He still had to work to achieve what he has gained, but the advise his patron has supplied him has made life much easier.

So obviously I'm looking at Infernal pact here. The exact nature if the thing in the mountain is open to interpretation, call it a demon, devil, or oni, its fine. But it is trapped under the mountain until Kildrak is king (or whatever works for the story!) So...that's what I've got. If anybody has input it is welcome.

Kildrak looks pretty good. It seemed more like a pact with The Great Old One (driving everyone insane) but I can dig a deal with the devil. Did the encounter leave you with any quirks? I would say you may want to flesh out your infernal benefactor a bit. Also, what Pact did you select? Also, why are you in Agartha?

Funny story, the kingdom of Mountebanc is presently without an acting king (some murderhobos came through and killed him) so perhaps he can actually help you secure the throne.

For everybody: once you have finished your character idea and are ready to sumbit a character sheet please do. Then feel free to post in the background forum, no more than 500 words.

I'm thinking if we can get everything locked down this week, we can start the adventure by Monday. Sound good? Conversely, if you want to start sooner, than everyone can get their character sheets and backgrounds in by tomorrow and we can start Thursday. What works best?

So sorry, but I'm swamped with work the next couple of days so I won't be able to submit anything before Friday :-(