Characters creation thread

In any case, it doesn't really matter much, it's probably not likely to come up regardless. Forgive me if I'm being gratuitously contrary.

I do agree with you. The language selection does tell a lot about the character. I think I will do Deep Speech instead of Primordial. I like the idea of her knowing this ancient, powerful language after waking up, and she probably keeps most of her notes in this language, knowing that no one would likely be able to read it. I am going to keep Elvish, however, because she goes undercover a lot and I see her going undercover as an elf more often than a dwarf. And an elf that can't speak elvish seems very suspicious.

I dig it! You'll have a non-common language in common with Tamara as well so you can have discreet conversations in mixed company.

Also, languages convey culture. Understanding a language means you understand something of the beings that speak that language.

other magic items (here is what i think would be useful for Tamara

Dust of disappearance (uncommon)
Potion of climbing (common)
Potion of healing (common)

Hello, all! I'm in the process of developing a character to join the game. I've been working with DarkReaver1998 to create a character that fits in, and I really hope to get things set up quickly.

My character concept is as follows: Devyn was a classmate of Erasma's at the Academy, an unpopular student who was a favorite target of bullies, in fact. When Erasma started to fail in her classes and to lose prestige with her friends, Devyn acted as a tutor to try to help her pass her classes. It was a relationship born of need and convenience: he had few if any friends, and her popularity was waning. It's possible that the friendship meant more to Devyn than it did to Erasma.

Here's the part that I don't know whether it works within this setting. Erasma fell into her coma, Devyn graduated the Academy. He left Vikaastea for some years. He returns to the city a much-changed man - confident, accomplished, and therefore more attractive. I'm planning to play him as a College of Whispers bard. My initial intent was to make him a lawyer, but Ornux informs me that Vikaastea has no real court system. So I'm thinking of making him a journalist of sorts - someone who is digging for secrets, especially of those who misused him in his younger days, with the intent of leveraging those secrets for power.

I'm open to discussion!

Hey Moonbeam : any news on you character creation? Do you want to discuss some ideas?
I've received tons of PMs lately, and it's a pain to go back through them but I think you sent something some days ago... I'll go search that too.

I look forward to bringing you in the game, and get the game back on track.

Well, you had instructed me to work out my character with the other players. I've already worked with Darkreaver, so I posted here (as you instructed) hoping to generate some dialogue. I've been pretty busy with a game I'm trying to launch, so I haven't pushed it any further.

Well if Viking1031 don't feel like getting involved in your character creation, you can safely assume that it's OK and get ready to jump in.
I'll hook you in as soon as possible, and Erasma will certainly have to introduce you to Tamara and vouch for you.

I'm sorry - I'm really not trying to be difficult, but having read through the entire character creation thread, I was expecting the process to be a little more interactive, given that there are so many as yet unseen particulars in the setting that can affect what characters are appropriate. I really don't feel prepared to jump in at this point, since what I've proposed is merely an idea rather than a fleshed out character. I don't even have a custom magic item as the others have.

Trying to figure a tie in with Moonbeams character. The problem is that my characters connection with Ersama kind of ran through (my disappeared brother) though they still have a loose connection. Since his character is connected more with Ersama, trying to find that connection that seems genuine and not forced I am not sure about.

Yeah, that's why I was waiting - there's no obvious tie-in. What if all the characters knew each other prior to the Academy? Like, as children? Would that work?

My thought was that Theobold was still a character (just not a PC anymore) so that connection would still be there. Aside from that, Erasma and Tamara have gotten to know each other pretty well since Eramsa started spending time at their estate and vice versa.
The Academy angle could also work.

Ok my brother will fade back into obscurity but still be present. It could be that Ersama introduced Tamara to him as he was seekig some information for some research that required some type of covert operations. Tamara was in a place to help him get it without anyone knowing and that was how they met. Now we just need a reason to get him involved in the issues that we find ourselves in.

Yeah, sorry if I tried to rush you in Moonbeam : I was frustrated by IRL matters and wanted to have something going where I'd like to see it going..

As for the tie-in issue buddy described by Viking1031, you introduction could come naturally with your skill set.

It may be another couple of days before I have a chance to give this some undivided attention, as I'm recovering from a substantial migraine and dealing with some very annoying insomnia. But I appreciate the help, everyone. I'm also catching up on the negotiations thread. I think I'll have an infusion of creative ideas in another day or so!

Okay, here's my latest proposal. (Many thanks to Darkreaver for the brainstorming help.)

Devyn Barnay was a classmate of Erasma at the Academy. He was awkward and shy, making him a bit of a bully magnet. He was, however, a good student. So when Erasma began to have academic difficulties, she persuaded Devyn to tutor her. Since her own popularity was fading, they developed a personal bond as well, although it's possible that meant more to Devyn than to Erasma.

Therefore, it was devastating to Devyn when Erasma fell into her coma. Upon graduating, he left Vikaastea for good and wound up in Waterdeep. It was there that he was noticed by a spymaster, who saw promise in him and began to train him in art of spycraft and recommended him to the College of Whispers for training as a bard. Devyn became an accomplished performer and was able to use that to insinuate himself into social circles and tease sensitive information from people. His mentor showed him how to leverage the secrets he pried from people to sell either the information to others or his silence to the owners. The mentor kept a substantial share of the profits.

At some point, Devyn and his mentor had an insurmountable disagreement and the bard left Waterdeep to find another city in which to ply his trade on his own. He eventually assembled a troupe of accomplished performers, which he fronted and hired out to play at numerous private events hosted by wealthy and powerful people. He trained his troupe in the art of listening and they fed him leads, which he then used to get to the really good stuff. They would stay in a city long enough to get established and make some good money, then leave for the next city before things got hot. But recently, mistakes were made and he and his cohorts were forced to leave town in a hurry. So he decided that maybe it was safest to let things blow over by traveling back to his home town of Vikaastea.

He is pleasantly shocked to learn that Erasma is not only alive but apparently healthy and powerful again, and he's delighted to renew that old friendship that was, in many ways, the one that defined him as a young man. And he's likely harboring hopes of deepening the relationship beyond mere friendship.

Darkreaver and I were thinking it would be terrific if the dancers at the party were actually part of Devyn's troupe, there to listen and bring information back to him. And maybe he either knows who the spy they cast out of the party was working for, or offers to find out who he was working for.

Nice backstory and characters bonds!
The idea about the dancers being part of your troupe is nice and eases the transition to let you in, but you'll have to be careful to not let the spymaster part of your character become the biggest part: the game is about you and waht you accomplish yourself. You will, however, be able to use that network from time to time.
You wouldn't know who it is, but that might be your hook in : you and your friend will be able to work together in that investigation and form new bonds.


Up next in the game
Investigating who's the spymaster?

Moonbeam, does a Cloak of Shadow Stepping match the kind of item you envision for Devyn ?
It does exactly what you think it would do : let you step into one shadow, wrap yourself in you cloak and teleport to another shadow you can see within range.
500ft seems like a legit range if I impose a limit on the number of times you can use it per short rest, otherwise it'd be more in like the monk's class feature and be something like 60ft.

What do you think?

I really like that idea!

I'm almost done with the final item, but I have one question: how do you feel regarding chaotic features? Some people love them, some don't.Which one do you like more?