Xain Character Discussions

This thread is for discussing Xain's character please do not post anything here that is not related to Xain's character and yes collaborating with Xain is consider fair postings.

Please make your rolls in here and outline what your are doing so that I can give you feedback on the world. Do note though this game borrows heavily from the Forgotten Realms so you can use information from that setting to outline your background.

Tentative discussion was either a Ranger or Scout -- perhaps based on a Ranger, Rogue, or Bard -- other player input on what the group might feel would work the best to help tie the new character is usually helpful

I decided to give another try to my rogue forest gnome - maybe faith will be kinder to him here. Here's my rolls:

Pfew, good rolls! I obvs will discard the last one!

If I understood correctly, summed up all the rolls and distributed them in the stats.

Currently my stats - without race or class modifiers - are:

STR 11
DEX 16
CON 12
INT 14
WIS 15
CHA 12

I'm going on to create a first draft of the character, I will tell you when I am done. Just to be clear, are we playing in the Sword Coast setting? And do I need to go through the Sword Coast Adventurer's guide before playing, or can I start even without having read it?

Also, I see that you do ask us to roll our backgrounds (thank you for treating us as adults!) - but what about characteristics and flaws? Do we need to stick to the handbook ones, or can we be more imaginative if it fits our character? For example, my character would most certainly suffer of pyrophobia - he can start a campfire if he really has to, and roast a hare, but that's pretty much the closest he can get to controlled fires. He avoids candles as much as he can (blessed be darkvision!). Uncontrolled fires, incendiary arrows, someone brandishing a torch at him? Pure panic.

I know I have so many questions, but I am pretty much a newbie as you are aware!

This is taking place in a world that resembles Forgotten Realms but is not Forgotten Realms and the adventure takes place in Far Reach a place that does not actually even exist in the normal Forgotten Realms -- so while knowing stuff about the Forgotten Realms is useful it is not necessary

These are the results of your rolls -- your numbers looked a bit off so I assume you misunderstood how it worked -- and no you do not discard an entire set of numbers just the lowest of each set of 3:

char roll 1 - 12

char roll 2 - 11

char roll 3 - 15

char roll 4 - 13

char roll 5 - 13

char roll 6 - 9

Saw your character sheet thus far

STATS AND HP ROLL

Well, since I already proved how thick I can get, I'll double check: I can assign those results to any stat, I suppose?

If that is the case, then my little boy will be:

[ +- ] Stats before modifiers

Strength
9
Dexterity
15
Constitution
11
Intelligence
13
Wisdom
13
Charisma
12

So, by applying the Gnome and Forest Gnome modifiers (Gnome: +2 INT; Forest gnome: +1 Dex):

[ +- ] Stats after modifiers

Strength
9
Dexterity
15+1= 16
Constitution
11
Intelligence
13+2=15
Wisdom
13
Charisma
12

Now, if I understood correctly, the homebrew for this game state that I get max hit points for the first level (8 for Rogue), then "Rogue gets 1d8 = (1d4 + 4 + Con Mod)". Since I need to level up to 3rd level Rogue, my hit points should be 8+(2d4+8+0), i.e., if my maths don't fail me, 2d4+16.

And the roll is...

SKILLS AND PROFICIENCIES

20 hit points. Not the strongest, but hey, he was never intended to be a superhero, was he?

So, according to the handbook, Rogues have those proficienciesMoreover, he has Expertise, which counts as a double proficiency. So my choice of proficiency would be:

From class: Athletics (expertise), Insight, Investigation, Perception (expertise)
From archetype: Nature, Survival
From background: Animal Handling, Stealth

Sounds good -- just a word of warning though -- this game focuses a bit more on survival and a 9 Strength will limit your carrying capacity (not necessarily bad btw) so -- only purely as a suggestion -- you might want to consider swapping Str with Cha -- and play the character as being a bit less socially adept and less sure of themselves ... as Charisma is a measure of how good you interact with others and your emotional/mental fortitude -- self-confidence and such

Suggestion accepted!

So now it's

BACKGROUND, PERSONALITY, IDEALS, BONDS AND FLAWS
I'm not sure how to handle background. So he should be either a Far traveler/Fugitive or an Outlander/Trapper. Do I have to add the relative proficiencies to my class one? And what about the ones that repeat themselves, should I double them up?

As for personality, my character is driven by Other than that, he is shy, quiet (sometimes that is misunderstood for sulking, an unusual behaviour for a gnome) and an avid reader. He hates to be at the centre of attention.
His ideal then would be to do justice to his people, and, aside from that, prevent similar horrors to happen (that, I guess, would be his bond).
Finally, as I said before, I would like my character to be scared of fire,

ABILITIES

This should not be controversial, since they should directly derive from class and race (and background, once I have a clear one).

So far, they are:

ARCHETYPES, MAGIC AND THINGS THAT GO BOOM

Here's another tricky point - since, if the DM allows me to, I would like to be an Arcane Trickster - and I have a good backstory reason for it.

[ +- ] The backstory reason

... or reasons, really. For one, I am pretty sure that some magic was involved in the destruction of my burrow. I have no proof of it, but a series of strange happenings make me feel so. Also, I have heard that powerful mages can make wake up the dead. And what better way to discover what happened to the burrows, and say goodby to my dear ones?

I'm waiting for the DM to get back at me before I start choosing spells.

Update - I had missed the post where the DM suggested me to be a Scout. So be it, scout. Don't be surprised if I multiclass as a wizard at some point, though!

Regardless of that, as a Forest Gnome, I already know the Minor Illusion cantrip (on Intelligence).

BACK STORY

To be filled

EQUIPMENTThank you for the pet, by the way. So, with the basic equipment, I total 110.75 pounds. The maximum I can carry, if that is Str*15 -25% (since I am Small), that is 135. However, if I carry more than Str*5 -25% = 45, I am Encumbered. If I carry more than Str*10 -25% = 90, I am Heavily Encumbered.

Is that even possible that I am encumbered just with the basic equipment?

Note when taking Backgrounds you do not have to take what is suggested and can swap things with caveat that it ought to be a reasonable association with the persons background so when you get done you would generally acquire

2 Skill Proficiencies -- and -- 2 either Tool or Language Proficiencies (aka 2 Tools -or- 1 Tool 1 Language -or- 2 Languages)

And you can get into magic later but you might want to delve into something more nature oriented -- as for the cantrip I would suggest Prestidigitation as it has to be the most useful convenience spell out there and it does a bit more than what you will find in the book because it has been made more generic in nature within in this world

And yes you can have a pet -- but you need to have Animal Handling skill and preferably as a Proficiency which you can use as one of your background skills maybe you were an Animal Catcher/Raiser/Trainer instead of a Trapper and the pet (fully trained) can take the place of that "odd item" everyone gets from their background

That being said and say you choose to go with the Animal Handler Background here is a modified Outlander background to reflect that

Outlander
You grew up in the wilds, far from civilization and the comforts of town and technology. You've witnessed the migration of herds larger than forests, survived weather more extreme than any city-dweller could comprehend, and enjoyed the solitude of being the only thinking creature for miles in any direction. The wilds are in your blood, and you grew up learning how to be an animal handler. Now even in places where you do not know the specific features of the terrain, you know the ways of the wild.

Skill Proficiencies
Animal Handling, Survival

Tool Proficiencies
Woodcarver’s Tools (for making cages and live traps), Herbalism Kit (for making natural mixtures to cure or aid the animals)

Equipment
Handaxe (used as much as a weapon as a tool), a live trap, a fully trained pet, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Feature: Wanderer
You have an excellent knack with some aspect of nature and gain expertise with one of the following skills (Survival, Nature, or Animal Handling). In addition, when foraging for food or water, the character can re-roll one die but must use that second roll.

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Oh and because it has come up in one of the games --- Having proficiency with Tools does not mean you actually own those tools and attempting to do something without the proper tools carries Disadvantage while not having the Tools and not being proficient with a Tool Proficiency carries the Disadvantage and the restriction that you cannot obtain a result higher than 10 regardless of the roll.

I do like the idea of being an Animal Catcher and trainer, it even fits better with the idea I had of Yeryn.
I will try to get into magic later and will keep in mind your suggestion for the Prestidigitation cantrip and choosing a nature-oriented class - probably a druid.

Ok, I did a some changes now (I will also update the relevant part of the thread so that everything will be consistent).

I consider that an animal catcher and trainer must be good at making himself invisible, so I consider it to give me (if you're fine with it)
Animal Handling, Stealth
as proficiencies, instead of Survival (that I would have anyway since I am a Scout).

Since I will have the stealth from my background, though, it is pointless that I pick it as my class proficiency.
So, my new proficiencies from my class would be:
Athletics (expertise), Insight, Investigation and Perception (expertise)

Sounds good

Yes it can be it kind of depends on what you are trying to carry there are a lot of heavy things associated with starting stuff, perhaps getting a "riding" dog and use it as a sort of "pack" dog instead might be useful to you -- small folk always have the issue of get weighed down -- also part of the point to this game is balancing those logistics so you have what you need to survive and can survive because you can still move ;)

A nice thing I allow is for you to sell the stuff off at book price -- also there are ways to get things made lighter especially things like armor and other leather goods