Creating Our Characters

Okay... so... :rubs hands anxiously: let's talk ranger.

I'm thinking he will be competent in battle, but his strength is hunting and especially tracking. I'm unsure on whether he should follow the way of the dual-blade or the way of the bow, but I figure there's time for that still. I have a general idea of his past, but without a lot of knowledge of the setting (other than the thread, which I've already read through), I'm not sure how to fit him in.

On the matter of character creation, I'm assuming level 1? Any restricted races?

* Disclaimer: I have the PHB so I can follow along well, especially with page references.

Ranger. Very cool! Yes, 1st level. Any race in the PHB is allowed. Can you tell us a bit more about his past, as well as his present occupation? That can serve as guidance for finding a reason for him to be in Iskandar, and possible connections to our adventure.

Demagor, one thing I wanted to suggest for your Ranger was to replace two class features with new features from a recent supplement.

First, I recommend replacing Natural Explorer in the PHB with Deft Explorer. Here is the description:One reason that I recommend Deft Explorer is that it isn't dependent on the campaign's location. And getting double your proficiency bonus to any skill can really help define your character and make your character feel like an expert. You could choose Survival and be an expert hunter/tracker for example. The extra two languages will also be nice in a cosmopolitan city.

I also recommend replacing Favored Enemy with Favored Foe, described below:Again, this feature is not dependent on the campaign and you will find use for it a lot more.

Wow I never knew you can change options for a class. I'm thinking those options are not available in the PHB but from other source materials right?

Anyway, I really don't know what to make so I'll just roll a dice with a set figure I came up with the following options (using base PHB content):

[GENDER]

1d2/flip a coin:
Heads-Male Character
Tails-Female

(optional: roll d3 to represent non-binary 1-male 2-female 3-non binary)

[RACE/ANCESTRY]

Roll a d10 to determine from the ff:

1-Dwarf
2-Elf
3-Halfling
4-Human
5-Dragonborn
6-Gnome
7-Half-elf
8-Half-orc
9-10-Tiefling

[CLASS]

Roll a d12 to determine from the ff:

1-Barbarian
2-Bard
3-Cleric
4-Druid
5-Fighter
6-Monk
7-Paladin
8-Ranger
9-Rogue
10-Sorcerer
11-Warlock
12-Wizard

So here I go:

[RESULTS]

Okay, so I'm gonna make a Male, Elven, Barbarian...got it!

And my character Backstory is:A question though: what generation method for Abilities are we going to use? (Standard array, point buy, 4d6 drop lowest etc.)

We are doing the 4D6 drop lowest method, but after rolling you can choose to take the standard array (15, 14, 13, 12 , 10, 8) if you prefer it to your rolls.

Rolling for le stats (that's a lot of Vampire Tom Cruises)

4d6 X low results:

14, 14, 6, 11, 15, 11


okay...thinking of doing a standard array...

Quick side-question, how are you guys (1) changing the font size of your post text and (2) how are you changing the font?

Replied in the OOC thread.

Personally I'd play those rolled stats. With the exception of the 6 and the 11, they're slightly better than the standard array. A 6 isn't that much worse than an 8 anyway. But that's just my recommendation; ultimately the choice is yours.

This is unofficial material but I find it helpful:

Nah I'm not comfortable with that low stat...even if it's an 8... I'll just use the standard array...

15 STR
14 CON
13 DEX (+2 ELf ASI) 15
12 CHA
10 INT
8 WIS

Let me throw out my rolls:

Not sure why the next 3 didn't come up, but... so far, so good. Let's fix that shortcoming now.

Holy crap.

15
15
15
14
13
12

...by my count. No superstar roll, but overall very nice.

I too wasn't aware you could cherry-pick which features you didn't like and swap them out for others, though I'm glad you can. I find both of these favorable and will make a note to implement them both.

He's going to be a Male Ranger, but the race is still undecided; either human or elf.

Beautiful. Fitting a ranger, strong across the board.

Looks great!

STR 15
CON 15
DEX 14
INT 13
WIS 15
CHA 12

Is what I'm thinking. I know these may change (go up) depending on which race I select.

That's right, they were released in a recent supplement called Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. The default Ranger options are considered fine but a little lackluster, and I think the new features will help a lot!
Love the character concept!

I'm leaning towards Wood Elf, but I don't know if that's too "predictable".

The classics never get old! Your call :)

Speaking as a classic, I respectfully disagree. However, that aside, I'm game. Wood Elf it is.

Would either of you mind if I take the liberty of inventing small, insignificant towns in my history/backstory??

Sounds good!

Yeah, go for it!

What kind of elf do you think you'd like your character to be, mormegil? There are Wood Elves (inspired by the Woodland Elves of Middle Earth) to the and High Elves (kinda like Ñoldor) each with their own set of unique abilities and stat bonuses.

Also, have you thought about how an elf might have become a Barbarian? That seems like a good story!

I assumed the Tolkien references would be appropriate given your username 😁

Let me roll some bones

11, 8, 16, 11, 13, 11

Not bad at all! A fairly average person who is exceptional in one specific area. Should make for some interesting stories!

I'm torn between a thief and magic user, but I think I'm settled on thief and might go multi class somewhere down the road.

For race I'd like to go Rock Gnome.



Seabury Timbers. Nickname, Berry, Rock Gnome Rogue
Stat racial adjustments . Con +1, Int +2

11, 8, 16, 11, 13, 11

Str 8
Dex 16
Con 11 +1 = 12 (amended)
Int 13 +2 = 15
Wis 11
Cha 11

Skills: Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Insight, Deception Acrobatics
Prof - Light armour, simple weapons, hand xbow, longsword, rapier, shortsword

Expertese : Stealth and Thieves Tools (Prof bonus doubled)

Sneak attack - deal extra 1d6 damage if you hit with an attack using advantage (adv not needed if another enemy of the target within 5')

Background: Sage - Wizard's Apprentice
Berry started training as a wizard's apprentice but was rejected part way into his training, putting him out on the street. He turned to crime but still kept his fascination for magic.
Skills: Arcana, History
Languages: Elvish, Abyssal

Trait I am horribly, horribly awkward in social situations
Ideal No limits: Nothing should fetter the infinite possibility inherent in all existence
Bond : It is my duty to protect my students
Flaw: I speak wihout really thinking through my words and invariably insult others

Equipment: A bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife,
a letter from a dead colleague posing a question you
have not yet been able to answer, a set of common
clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Burglar's Pack - Includes a backpack, a bag of 1,000 ball bearings, 10 feet of string, a bell, 5 candles, a crowbar, a hammer, 10 pitons, a hooded lantern, 2 flasks of oil, 5 days rations, a tinderbox, and a waterskin. The pack also has 50 feet of hempen rope strapped to the side of it.
Leather armour
2 Daggers
Thieves Tools
Rapier

OK question with regard to Backgrounds. if a proficiency is listed and I have it from my class already, what happens?

found it: "If a character would gain the sam e proficiency from
two different sources, he or she can choose a different
proficiency of the same kind (skill or tool) instead"

Maybe he's a wood elf ranger like so many others but he secretly always dreamed of living in the city and becoming an accountant!

Languages : I have two languages to take. Are their particular languages in the world aside from Common which may be of use? What about ancient languages?

Berry is looking great, Knife! Are you maybe going for Arcane Trickster down the line? You don't have to decide right now. Just something to consider.

It did cross my mind, either that or multi class rogue /wizard after level 3

Rogue's gear question: Can I have a hand crossbow instead of short bow?

This is probably better answered by Len, but Iskandar is very cosmopolitan so I'd expect the languages of all the available race options spoken here. And then some.
I'm not opposed. But that isn't "standard" because it's a 50gp price difference. Len?

Ah that's true, hadn't considered the price difference. Maybe light crossbow then , as that's the same price as a shortbow? It's only to match my chosen picture :)

Knife, if you don't want to take the starting equipment package given by your class and background, you can choose to roll for gold and buy your equipment instead. This gives you the freedom to pick what you want, but you have to do the work of pricing things out. Starting gold amounts are based on a class; for rogues you roll 4d4 x 10gp.

The hand crossbow might an aspirational item at level one, but a lucky roll for gold might get it in your hands right now.

Thanks. I hadn't seen that light was an option (it's further up the list than hand/heavy) so I'm happy to go with Light if you're good with that, being the same price

The setting has a strong subplot about Devils and Demons, so Infernal or Abyssal might get specialized use. Elvish is a good choice for an old language, and Celestial, Draconic or Primordial are good choices ancient languages.

Wait so I need to choose a subrace? or is that optional? since I already applied the +2 DEX ASI... Also good to see someone with knowledge of Sir Tolkien's works ^^ I'm leaning towards a Sindarin (grey elf) to fit in the background I'm thinking for my character but I don't think that's available in the Player's handbook...I guess I'll pick Wood Elf too...

A subrace grants an additional bonus to one ability score, as well as additional racial features. Wood Elf is a fine choice! While the High Elves are more learned, the Wood Elves are more fleet of foot and have keener senses.

Ah so you do need to pick the subrace. Thanks for the heads-up I've been playing humans in other game that I forgot there are subrace picks for other races lol. So final stats along with the Wood Elf subrace now would be:

15 STR
14 CON
13 DEX (+2 Elf DEX ASI) 15
12 CHA
10 INT
8 WIS (+1 Wood Elf WIS ASI) 9

Ok, so I decided to use a random character Idea generator I once made. It is Verrry random however and far from limited to D&D si I was wondering if you could give me your thoughts on which parts of the result should I keep?
Here is what I got. (Reminder, it's very random and you're not supposed to keep all the details)

* Name: Tilma
* Race: Elf
* Age: 177
* Gender: Female
* Appearance: Very Short nose,Overbite lips,Brown arms,Wears Piercings all over,Oblong face,Green Chin,
* Personality traits: Vulnerable,Guileless,Orderly,
* Flaws: Bigmouth,
* Fears: Carnophobia- Fear of meat.Parasitophobia- Fear of parasites.
* Education/intelligence: Dance,Law,Warrior College,
* Skilled in: Power Bashing,Necromancy,Moving with a drawn bow,Becoming a legend,
* Bad at: Steady Hands,Dungeons,Rhythm,
* Favorite color: Maroon
* Favorite food: Rice pudding
* Favorite drink: Poison
* Favorite book: Rain's Hand Correspondence
* Favorite animal/creature: Water leaper
* Favorite music: David Guetta - Titanium
* Sport: Trail running
* Obsessions and Manias: Heredity,
* Job: Methane/Landfill Gas Collection System Operators
* Motivation: Wants to have kids
* Battle class: Local Hero,Slayer of Domiel,
* Special abilities/particularities: Resistance to Mind Manipulation,
* Weapons: Microwave weapon,
* Belongings: Clothes,
* Elements: Metal,
* Stats: STR:11 CON:13 DEX:15 INT:10 WIS:12 CHA:8
* Weakness: Magnetic,
* Random details: Shows a battle move,stealing is not a crime as long as no one sees you,Is a were-moose,Thinks they are radioactive,He says that he is crazy,

You probably won't want literal poison as your favorite drink. It might be a cocktail named "poison" at your favorite bar. Who knows?

You're probably not a were-moose. At least, not yet!

With a little tweaking the job might be interesting for the setting hehe!

Resistance to mind manipulation might be attainable later depending on what class you pick.

There's actually plenty there that might be fun; it's just a matter of choosing those that fit what you envision for your character.

What's his/her personality like? Why did he/she become an adventurer? "Wants to have kids" and "local hero" one or both could work.

You'll have to roll your stats here though. Click Advanced to add rolls to your post. You might find the New GP Member Guide useful.

Here are my stat rolls (if I did it right)

Forgot one

So my stats are: STR:11 CON:15 DEX:17 INT:9 WIS:13 CHA:8
PS. She'll be a woodelf so that is +2 Dex and +1 WIS if I'm not mistaken. Also a warrior

You guys are going to have your hands full with elves.

Maybe I should reconsider a different race.

Yeah I agree I think I'll go with half-elf instead...

I don't know about Len but I have nothing against a single-race party. Having said that, variety is fun!

Yes I believe that's correct. What sort of warrior do you envision? A quick and agile one, by the looks of your stats.

Yup, one who uses a crossbow or bow (leaning more towards crossbow). She would usually shoot in movement during combat (if you tell me how could I implement that. She doesn't have a very steady hand when standing still. Also which ranged weapon would be best for bashing? Or would it be possible to accomodate a crossbow for the task?

You have a talent of making people feel perfectly fine with whatever choice they make- as if they can't make a wrong one. Blue hair? Sure! That's fun! Orange hair? Great idea! Be unique!

You guys are going to be a lot of fun.

I have the general character concept in mind, but I don't have enough to put much more together. I'm still crafting that. Sadly, if you'll allow the adjective, the overall-balanced ability scores, even if they were generous and kind, make it difficult to pick out one particular characteristic, one particular emphasis on the character. So, I need to instead develop that from their personality and their past. Not impossible by any means, but I want to put some effort into this. Just because it's a learning game doesn't make it any less worthy of my best effort- I can already see that you two are giving the same, it's only fair; it's respect.

Hey, is a photo allowed for the character portrait?

Yeah, I'm into an all-elf party. The first game I ever ran on Gamers Plane was an all-dwarf game! That's where I met Jabes.

Everybody being elves does offer an intrinsic bond between players and possibly a unity of purpose. You would all have darkvision and all speak elvish. Iskandar is founded by on a cooperation between a group of humans and elves, so there are lots of elves around.

One thing to watch out for is each player may have a different idea of what an elf is like. So, feel free to describe yourselves as coming from different regions of the world, and then you can explain any differences away with regional cultures.

Well not quite all elves :)

I see abyssal is the spoken where infernal is written. Do the two need to be taken as separate languages?

Sounds like a rogue to me! Rogues get extra movement at 2nd level and are one of the most mobile classes in the game. They also get special "sneak attack" damage stacked on top of their attacks when they hit.

Ranged weapons aren't ideal for bashing by the rules. Although it is possible, It's probably better to take out a dagger or something when in close range. Perhaps that might be a weapon you could commission a weaponsmith to build for you eventually, some kind of bayonetted or weighted crossbow.

Right back at you. The whole group seems like a fun crew!

I understand the challenge completely. Let us know if we can help.

Yep, that's allowed. She looks punk AF!

Ah yes, how typical to forget the gnome. Must be something about the stature. I'm sure that'll only help him rogue better!
No, if you have proficiency in a language it counts for both reading and writing. As far as I understand it, Abyssal is the language of demons and Infernal is the language of devils.

:) Nope, I'm still gonna stick to a fighter instead of a rogue. She isn't very sneaky and she's not really using blades. The bashing is her preference if forced in close combat. I'm not into optimal characters (far from that lol). She is a fighter cause she went to a warrior college. Although she trained in the use of a variety of weapons she prefers ranged weapons (partially due to her lack of strength). I'm gonna leave the whole shooting in movement and bashing with a crossbow to the side for now an rather get her a trusty club to smack assholes in the face.

The various Backgrounds (PHB page 125 or click here) are a great way to add uniqueness to your character. Think of them as your profession before you became an adventurer. Each has a set of suggested Personal Characteristics (Traits, Ideal, Bond, and Flaw) to help shape your character's personality the way you want, providing a good starting point and guide for your roleplay.

Just a quick roll for the money to see how much I would get

100 gp is pretty good. Consider that a day's lodging is 5 silver (0.5 gold) and a day's worth of modest meals is 3 sp (0.3 gp). A day's wages for skilled labor is 2 gp. (source)

So what was that idea to tweak the job you had?

I don't think Iskandar is at this tech level but that can easily be tweaked to some sort of municipal worker that has something to do with the sewers or garbage disposal or the like. Or you could discard this and come up with something else. Infinite possibilities. I'm sure you can come up with a far more interesting idea than I can!

Hunting rats in the sewers with her crossbow sounds good to me. So sewer cleaning it is. One has to earn money someway. And not everyone gets to have a luxurious job.

I take it this was before she began attending warrior school? I imagine after graduating she'd be hired to hunt bigger threats. There are definitely worse than rats down in the sewers!

She's the head of the sewer cleaning department so she is in charge of who hunts what ;)

So here is her bio, tell me what you think: Tilma was born and raised in the city. During her younger days she spent some years in a dance school that she eventually quit due to her horrible sense of rythme. Later her parents enrolled her in a law school. There she met her first crush, a drow named Tylor.
She ran away from home at the age of 56 after a heated argument with her parents who would have preferred to keep her home for eternity.
With her boyfriend they left the school soon after to pursue his hobby, necromancy. Tylor always told Tilma that she had a talent for it. All was well and good till the guy decided to start practicing on the pieces of meat he had bought from the local butcher. Seeing the pieces of meat come alive deeply disturbed her. She can't look at meat without imagining it coming alive and jumping on her.
Following that she quit both her crush and necromancy. She returned to her family for some years before enrolling in Warriors college, finding a job as a sewer cleaner and moving into a small apartment of her own.
Years later she had graduated from the college and started earning a good living as a head of the sewer cleaning department.
It was around that time that she heard rumors of a necromancer terrorizing the district where Tyler lived. She quickly put 2+2 and decided to go check it out. It was really her ex who was doing experiments on corpses of humans. She used her previous relationship to gain enough of advantage to restrain the drow and call guards to arrest him. The feat quickly went around mouth to ear and she gained the reputation of somewhat of a local hero.
It's been some years since then and she is idly living her life.


Ps. She's 177 years old now.

I think that I more or less finished my character. How do I share it with you?

Here's the link to the Character sheet for my character Norran Dusksong

Is this how you share it?
Tilma

Peindora, you've created a unique and interesting character!

Consider setting Tilma's history in another city other than Iskandar to avoid having to know much setting information. Like, in my home city I know where the best cheap restaurants are, who the schools are named after, the garbage pickup schedule, etc. If you describe yourself as a local, you might find yourself in RP situations where you don't know things that you feel like you should.

Being a new arrival to the city frees you of having to know anything about it, and lets you discover it during play. What do you think?


I haven't gone over too much of your character sheet, but so far so good! The only change I noted was that your attack modifier with the bow should be +8 (+4 from Dex, +2 from proficiency, and +2 from archery fighting style) and the damage should be 1d8+4 (+4 comes from Dex). The attack modifier for the club should be +2 (from proficiency) but damage is correct.

You get increased ranged damage from having a Dexterity bonus? I would have thought DEX bonuses only improve your chances to hit. Has this changed in 5E?

Thanks an I Changed the numbers. Thanks 😊
Which city would you suggest.
I'll have her being transfered to Islander by her work to help them deal with their growing critter problem in the sewers. She's already taken care of the problem for the most part. Both by sending in other employees and going in manually herself. Took a few days in sewers so she haven't seen much of the city itself.
Will have to adjust her belongings as well. And I'll have her stay in a proper tavern. Nothing too fancy just an orderly one.

Red your char. Great!

Okay, so I have a background. Admittedly, I don't know who she really is right now, or much less who she will be; at least not right now. One must realize that she's only 1st level after all; the fun is in portraying her, crafting her, molding her into a person through her actions and decisions (in game), her accomplishments and failures, that of which she is proud and that of which she is ashamed. If this would have been a higher-level character, someone who has notches on her sword belt, scars on her arms, and painful memories of her past, then I would know her better. But she isn't, and so I don't. I want to create her and determine who she is together- with you all.

Side Note: As if it weren't obvious from my use of pronouns, I've elected to create her as a female elven ranger instead of a male one.

Allow me to introduce Jasera Dil'Sul.



Jasera Dil'Sul Background

It was the treachery of men that laid the foundation for the difficult life she would lead.

A small community of elves lived in the forest of Calen, the Green Glade. There the proud House Faroth and the noble House Thirildin ruled the small elven township. To the north, across the Valley of Marill along the foothills of the twin peaks Whitefang and Perilous, was the human town of McKellor. Sizable by local standards but small nonetheless, McKellor housed an army of good size and renown, stocked with veterans of the Black Wars across the Plains of Etam.

During the peak of summer, a long and relentless drought in the Thellish Fields sent hordes of vile creatures in search of water and food, and eventually to McKellor's doorstep. Within days, the town was besieged by the foul abominations. McKellor had always enjoyed a good relation with Calen, their trade was plentiful and beneficial to both communities. So, when war beckoned and loomed over the horizon like an impending storm, McKellor asked for help. Calen replied with the offer of an archer company, all of the Faroth line, and a unit of fearsome Thirildin swordsmen. The human town was insulted.

They resubmitted their request and clarified it to show that what they really wanted were weapons of quality; elven blades that never lost their edge and finely crafted yew bows who helped even the blind strike true. The elves of the forest were more than willing to assist in the defense of their allies with the soldiers they had offered, but they refused to be downgraded to the level of "arms merchant". The decline of the weapon request and the second offering of military help to the human town were like a slap in the face. On that day, communication between the two races ceased. The townsfolk spent nearly ten years painfully extracting the invaders from their land without the help of anyone, especially from the elves. The battles left McKellor scarred, but it also left its residents with other notable things... experience, pride, and the taste of victory. The silent standoff with the elves lasted until the end of the war and only shortly afterward.

No more than a year of peace was allowed to pass before McKellor declared war on Calen as an outlet for the torturing, inescapable feeling of having been abandoned, and thus began the War of the Hells. The army of McKellor, though only slightly larger than their elven counterpart, was now a battle-hardened force with a lust for war.

"War is a disease of Men with a disastrous effect... for it is only those who survive that become poisoned by it." -Saliir Mor'Faroth, High Lord of House Faroth, Calen

The poison of anguish and entitlement filled the blood of men and rotted their minds with the need to destroy. Learned from the beasts they had slain, the invaders brought Balrog's Blood, a substance (much like Greek fire) that burned intensely and was very difficult to extinguish. The attack was deadly and effective. The rain of fire killed many of the elves and burned much of the enclave. The army of Calen retaliated bravely and fought remarkably well, causing more damage than the human commanders would have ever expected from so badly beaten a foe. But the Balrog's Blood was impossible to defend against and within twenty days, the elven town was scattered as its residents fled to the trees. So it remained this way for the next 200 years.

The small tribes slowly lost their skill of craft and gift of artistry, their peace and their grace. The elves, already called wild by the citizens of McKellor, began to lurk in the trees and bushes, stalking those foolish enough to risk the danger of the Green Glade. They conducted well-planned ambushes on army patrols stationed in Tir Barad, the Great Watchtower that McKellor had built on the Valley of Marill to oversee the former elven lands. Tir Barad was situated in the center of a wide, flat stretch of rolling gold and green grassland that separated the human town and the edge of the forest.

Then came the birth of Jasera Thirildin, direct heiress to the High Lord of House Thirildin. Destined to claim her rightful place at the House's seat and unite the elves against the rule of McKellor, Jasera was to be trained in the craft of her family; the deadly skill of the blade, and the cunning art of tracking prey.

While young Jasera (then barely two years old) was cared for by her mother, Anneline, her father, Lord Korinam Thirildin, continued to lead raids and ambushes on the human town, its surrounding settlements and unsuspecting caravans. It was not long before his actions came under the notice of Tir Barad. One week before his daughter's fifth birthday, an ambush he had planned on a human patrol was revealed as a trap. Korinam and his group fought relentlessly but they were outnumbered and soon dispersed. Regretfully, some of his force returned to their homes instead of the assigned meeting place; even worse, they were followed by skillful McKellor rangers. The location of the Thirildin village was discovered and a force was summoned from Tir Barad to deal with them. The army massacred nearly everyone, with only a handful of elves escaping the violent and vengeful soldiers. Korinam stealthily approached the burned and ravaged remains of his small hamlet, and avoiding the few guards that were dispatched to secure the ruins, made his way to his home. Carefully sneaking in, he silently prayed to the lost gods as he approached a hidden door in the floor of his home. There he found his wife, Anneline, dead. Though badly wounded, she had somehow managed to elude capture and make her way to their safe room. In her hands, an answer to Korinam's prayers rested; his sleeping daughter.

Korinam took her and fled the ruined town. At full speed he rode across the forest day and night until he reached his destination, the Grove of the Druid Gora'Moorg, a satyr (of all things), but a noble person and good friend of House Thirildin. With him, Korinam entrusted the care and raising of his daughter, knowing that her safety would be jeopardized should she remain with the elven rebel. Making the most difficult decision of his life, Korinam departed without his daughter, thanking Gora for his priceless oath and vowing some day to return for his daughter. Gora immediately knew that in order to ensure the safety of his young ward, he would need to change her name. Jasera Dil'Sul awoke the next day, with no clue of her past.

One hundred and thirteen years have passed. Gora'Moorg has long since departed this world and Jasera has kept to the Grove ever since, awaiting the return of her father. Too much time has passed, however, and she now seeks to find him instead. The only thing she has to represent her House is the emerald pendant shaped like a dagger; a keepsake of her father's that she will never part with.

Gathering her equipment and supplies, Jasera bids the animals and protectors of the Grove farewell and embarks on a journey that will change her life and alter her future. She mounts Sulream, her tamed white horse, and lurches forward. Onward she rides through the glistening green veil, tempting fate and charging blindly into the unknown. It was not long before she caught word of a group of brigands who had captured an important elven noble and were auctioning him off to the highest bidder. The sale was taking place in Iskander, the largest human town known.

Briefly, against her better judgment and her innate instinct, Jasera would need to sheath her disdain and prejudice of the weak, untrustworthy human race, and try to integrate herself with the town. She was destined to know who they had captured- was it her father- and where he was. Pulling her hood up over her face, she entered the sprawling metropolis, searching for a string of wool in a flock of sheep, as the elven saying went.

Correct. This is the biggest challenge of learning a new edition - relearning core assumptions!

• For attacks with melee weapons, use your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls. A weapon that has the finesse property, such as a rapier, can use your Dexterity modifier instead.

• For attacks with ranged weapons, use your Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls. A weapon that has the thrown property, such as a handaxe, can use your Strength modifier instead.

I don't have time to respond right now but love the characters you've all created! Looking forward to reading over the backgrounds and incorporating them into the setting, as well as checking over the various mechanical details.

Great job everyone! Keep the questions and comments coming 😁

Couple more questions from me

Do the languages Abyssal/Infernal count as two separate languages, one spoken and written?

As a rogue I get thieves' tools proficiency and equipment but I get tinker's tools proficiency from my race, do I start with a set of those tools, or will I need to buy them?

I have a bond that doesn't really fit. Do you have any objection to me picking one from the list instead?

"Berry" Seabury Timbers

Born Seabury Valmop Rasdon Rasmin Tanser Timber III, or Berry for short, lived among a respectable rock gnome community of tinkers and sages in the City of Iskander. Like his brothers, he was pushed into an apprenticeship with a wizard of high standards and Berry being the blacksheep of the family, was not willing to conform.

After a year of study and constant errands, Berry was rejected by the wizard and subsequently his family and Berry took to living on the streets. His life became one of constantly hunting for waste scraps of food until he learnt how to steal. His nimble fingers were much more suited to this enterprise and he soon became skilled at picking pockets and sneaking around the city, even the wealthier parts of the city were open to Berry where the pickings were richest.

Berry is by no means evil but he is very self centred, always considering what benefits him most and often doesn’t consider the feelings of others in his speech. As a result he avoids social situations wherever possible and keeps to himself much of the time. He has no respect for the law.

He is small even by Gnomish standards, has a shock of red hair and wears a deep red/purple set of leather armour. His weapon of choice is a rapier and carries a crossbow on his back.

Everyone's characters are looking great! I've yet to give the backstories a thorough read and also haven't had time to go through the mechanical bits but will get on it ASAP.

Personally I do it like Demagor said here: I start with a barebones concept, and put my traits/ideal/bond/flaw down, but the rest is "discovered" through play. Even backstory is teased out bit by bit via flashback. A lot of it comes from reactions to the other characters as well as things that happen through play.

It's certainly not the only way to do it but that's how I like to do it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with having a detailed backstory written out, but I will caution that some details (again, I've not had the chance to read everything) might need a little tweaking to fit the setting.

Rest assured that we're all in this together; Len & I will do our best to help you bring your vision for your character to life so we can tell a great story together.

The concept always existed for STR bonuses, as they factored-in during both TO HIT and DAMAGE rolls, but that made sense- if you're stronger, you're going to hit harder. The rule didn't apply to DEX because it only influenced how well you could hit- a bow was still a bow and consistently caused bow damage, so the character who had better eyesight didn't hit harder, just more often. This is where composite bows would come into play, but even those would only grant damage bonuses to characters who had greater STR, since the pull of the bow was more, it fired it with more intensity, etc. etc. etc. Sorry, I could ramble on about this for days when the old rules are irrelevant in this scenario.

I was entertained to find that 'Finesse' was now a weapon property and not a Feat that would be taken independently of the weapon. A minor change but I find it logical.

Nevertheless, thanks for the clarification and explanation. Note that from time-to-time, I'll comment on such things as I do have to UNlearn old bit before I can learn the new bit.

Yay for like minds!

While I know it's lengthy (did I mention my earlier innate avoidance of brevity?), you'll see that the background tells more of the story of where she's from than of HER. It tells little of what she has done, who she is, etc. It's more the setup of the story than a giveaway.

I'm looking forward to this.

For the DEX bonus to damage I like to think of it as a more dextrous person better at targeting just the right spot.

Anyone can finesse with good enough DEX. A finesse weapon is built for finesse-ing.

Okay... yes... I see your point; it's a skilled person knowing where to hit for greatest effect. That makes sense, thanks for the alternate view. It's why a skilled marksman can be more deadly with a .22 than an amateur with a more powerful cartridge.

This makes sense too- some weapons are obviously meant for speed and flair rather than brute force. When's the last time you saw someone two-hand a rapier or a dagger?

Abyssal and Infernal are each their own language. I've read somewhere that they share the same script but that is an unofficial source and that is like saying German and English share the same script.

Unless tinker's tools are included in either the class or background starting equipment packages then you will have to purchase them.

You can choose any bond you want, even from a different background's list, or even create your own.

You can now submit your characters! :-)

One final question for character creation: can I create a magic item for my character? It will tie in with my character backstory but won't give game-breaking bonuses to the character...it is the ezelsúlë greenstone necklace from the tribe. Here's what it does:

Ezelsúlë (Green Soul) Abilities:

Vibrates and gives a bright green light when it detects the presence of ghosts or spirits nearby. The more powerful the soul/spirit the more bright the light and the more pronounced the vibrations.

Can point to the direction of a spirit by uttering the Elven incantation tala ni fëa (Show me the spirit) followed by the name of the said spirit or what it is called.

Can store souls inside after it has been ''convinced'' to join the person who invoked it.

Can only be used by Norran or members of his own tribe. To anyone else, it will just be another stone necklace.

I don't want to speak out-of-turn, but I'm thinking that as first level characters... owning magic items is highly unlikely, creating would seem like even more of a stretch. However, I'm not an official voice, so I'll let the Twin Towers of Power make the official call.

Conversely, why not make it "normal" for now, but have it unlock portions of its powers/abilities as the character increases level? This way it can GROW right along with them.

Sounding good! I love the idea that she's working on the vermin problem beneath Iskandar's streets. This is the largest city in this world and a lot of nefarious things are going beneath the streets, so it is unlikely she's solved the problem. Perhaps she has made a dent in the problem and cleaned up a particular neighborhood.

Ok for me. It was just to free her schedule for the adventure.

Changes made, inventory adjusted. If I'm not mistaken it's done?

Berry:
I think either CON or INT should have started at 11 rather than 13.
While having it that way on your sheet is totally fine, I'm unsure if the site's new character sheet integration feature will be able to parse it. Not a problem if you manually type in your rolls like the days of old, but if you want to use the nifty add-a-roll-with-one-click function it might work better if you rename the skill to: Stealth (Expert +7) 

Len and I have discussed the above. I'll let him tell you what we've decided.

As far as I can tell everything is good on Norran's sheet mechanically.

Tilma:

Be sure to specify Wood Elf rather than just Elf as your race.

All the numbers are good as far as I can tell.

It looks like you decided to create a custom background rather than pick one from the book, and that is totally fine, but I just want to make sure you aren't missing out:

✅ choose any two skills. I see you picked Arcana & Performance.
🔳 choose one background feature from the sample backgrounds. If you can't find one you like, let us know so we can help you create one.
🔳 choose a total of 2 tool proficiencies or languages (any chosen languages would be in a addition to those granted you by race, which in Tilma's case are Common and Elvish).

I see a ton of crossbow bolts in your inventory but no crossbow. Don't forget to add your club, too!

Looking forward to seeing Jasera's sheet, Demagor! :-)

Didn't think to add them in the inventory because they were in the weapons section. Will do.

No idea for the Feature. Non seemed to fit her. Any ideas?
She isn't very intelligent (int score 9) so didn't think of taking a language... Hmmm. Perhaps there is a language used by some more intelligent sewer dwellers? Or perhaps a language used in necromancy? That way I could take that 1 language and perhaps thieves tools prof to pic sewer gates?
How does that sound?

Haha well maybe it's just my OCD. XD
Does Iskandar have a Sewer Exterminators guild? Seems like it ought to! Then the guild artisan/guild merchant background (or a customized version thereof) might fit you.
Good point with the languages and her relatively lower INT.

Well, it's two languages, two kinds of tools, or one of each. In addition to the various artisan's toolkits, tools also include musical instruments, gaming sets, and vehicles.

Ok, so I took the Sewer Exterminators guild background, Poisoner’s kit proficiency and Cook's utensils proficiency. Poison making for rat poison and stuff (though I don't buy the kit yet cause it's too expensive) and Cook's utensils cause her meat problem forces her to cook for herself sometimes

Good stuff!

I'm a learner by instruction. I do very well in a class setting, where an instructor directs me, but I do all the work. When left to my own devices, my adult ADD kicks in and I wander. I have too much going on in my head to be entrusted with self-disciplined creation. I know there are probably billions of character creation guides, but would one of you be able to hobble together a simple checklist of what my next steps should be? I already have:

- Race
- Class
- Ability Scores
- Background

I know this is a generic yet significant question, but- what next?

I'd be glad to help, Demagor!

Ok, so you've rolled your ability scores (15, 15, 15, 14, 13, 12) and applied racial adjustments (did you settle on a Wood Elf?). You're going to play a Ranger and including Len's suggested class feature substitutions. You've written an evocative backstory, and chosen a great portrait.

If you haven't yet, choose a Background.

Then, we'll round out your Ranger-related stuff, such as class features and proficiencies, as well as your starting hit points, among other things

Then, we'll look at equipment, and so on.

If you link to your character sheet or submit it to the game, Len and I can look it over and walk you through filling in anything that's missing.

Edit: And there is also this guide if you prefer.

For this game, it would be very helpful for everyone to be able to see each others' character sheets. Can we ask everyone to do that?

Step 3c: Editing Characters After Creation of the New GP Member Guide makes mention of the Character Library, where you will find character sheets that players have chosen to make viewable.

In summary, you open the My Characters page, scroll down to your character, and click the book icon to make it red.

Actually, it would be easier if I can submit her in her current form, then flesh out the details as we go over them. Allow me just a moment and I will submit her. I actually prefer this step-by-step method and putting the information where it goes myself; a hands-on approach really tends to stick into my brain.

One more time though- thank you. I'm truly grateful for not only what you two are putting together, but the effort and patience that you're committing to it.

Character submitted in her vacant, skeletal form and made public. Done!

Racial ability score changes added, HP calculated and Ability Score proficiencies indicated/marked. I still need to incorporate the class changes Len suggested.

Eeek! My bad. I don't know how that happened. I'll set the Con to 11 (12 with bonus)

Not everyone learns the same way, but just like you I learn by doing. So yeah.

Len has been on a trip and is currently on the road, and I'm off to bed (it's 2am here) but we'll both be here for you again soon!

I was somehow confident that you would understand.

I've updated her Class Abilities with the replacements Deft Explorer and Favored Foe.

Looking at backgrounds, while there is no Seeker of Revenge, which would be ideal, I wanted her to have something more than the generic Soldier image. She's been trained for it, yes, but it wasn't a profession she chose- it was thrust unto her because of the events which transpired.

As she's the daughter of the murdered Lord of an elven city-state which may never return, I was thinking she may be a "Folk Hero" instead, but only to her people- which are very few and very scattered. Thus, it's not something overt, or pompous, or riddled with fanfare. However, it feels as if it would fit her more than any of the others.

Would that work?

---

Also, the backgrounds list skill proficiencies. Does that mean I add proficiencies to the ones I already have as a ranger? What if the background gives me a proficiency I've already chosen as a ranger? Does that amplify the bonus?

I bumped into that one Demagor. Here's what PHB says:

"If a character would gain the same proficiency from two different sources, he or she can choose a different proficiency of the same kind (skill or tool) instead"

Oohhhh.... nice! It's funny because there WAS a fourth one I was interested in, but it was just barely beaten-out.

I decided to scrap the idea of the gear pack and to roll for my cash.

120 gold.

Actually scrap that idea. I didn't realise the cash is instead of all equipment! I'll stick with what I have

As a Ranger, I've taken Perception, Stealth and Survival. Folk Hero gives me Animal Handling (which is fine) and Survival. Because of that dupe, I'd probably opt for Insight instead.

As an elf you already have proficiency with Perception. So you actually get to pick one more for a total of 6 skills!

I think Folk Hero is a great choice given Jasera's story!

Actually it's not how the book tells you to do it, but here's how I like to put together my character sheet after I've decided on race and class, and already have my ability scores, and a loose concept of backstory:

I fill in the sheet like I'm teling a story.

First, race. Because my character is born that way. I put in my stats and apply racial adjustments. I give the PC a name and record the race. Then in the Feats/Abilities section I put racial abilities like darkvision and such. Any languages my race grants me get recorded too. If my race grants any skill proficiencies, those get ticked off immediately. If my race gives me language, weapon or tool proficiencies, these get recorded in the feats section. Any racial spells go into the spells section at this point. This is also when I save my avatar. At this point I should already know my Speed, and Initiative Modifier but I almost always forget, and don't add them til the end LOL!

Next, Background. I record my Traits/Ideal/Bond/Flaw though I usually revisit and tweak these as the final step. I record the background feature, and tick off the two skills that the background grants. I then add in any other proficiencies granted by background, such as additional languages and tools. If I'm using the equipment package then those items go into inventory at this point.

Now I'm transitioning into Class. I put in my class levels and proficiency bonus. And now I pick skills from the class list. I already recorded skills granted by race and background so I avoid any overlaps. If overlaps are unavaoidable, then I invoke the PHB rule and pick something else. Class features go in. Saving throws go in. Weapons, armor, and tool proficiencies are updated as necessary. Inventory gets updated. Weapons go into the appropriate section, including attack roll and damage calculations. Now I can calculate Hit Points and Armor Class.

If I'm a spellcaster, then now's the time for spell selection.

Review and tweak as needed. Finished!

Hey Mormegil, the item you've proposed sounds really cool, but we'd like to keep the game mechanically straight-forward at the start. Therefore, we aren't planning on having characters start with magic items.

Like Demagor said, perhaps Norran could start with this sacred necklace, but cannot access it magical properties yet. Maybe he has to unlock these properties as the character goes up in levels - prove their worth, undergo trials, or learn its secrets through study/experience.

The spiritual aspect of the character might also be served by how you level up. It isn't in the Player's Handbook or Basic Rules, but there is a subclass for Barbarians that you can choose at level 3 that lets you channel the spirits of your ancestors. It is called Path of the Ancestral Guardians:
If you chose this subclass, at level three you would get the Ancestral Protectors feature:
Let us know if this fits your character concept! And no rush; we won't hit level 3 for a while.
I'm sure I'm much less knowledgeable about Middle Earth, but The Hobbit was the first novel I really loved. I read LotR and loved it too, then attempted to read the Silmarillion but never got through it. I haven't read the works that his son published from his notes, but I recently re-read The Hobbit with my kids and had such a great time that I might jump on those now.

This was really interesting to read! Seems like a really holistic way to build an interesting character.

I think we're pretty close to getting started. One last question - how do your characters all know each other? I'm thinking that as people who are new to the city, you'd want to make allies. How can we tie these elements together?

-> Jasera is on a quest to rescue an Elven noble.
-> Tilma has been contracted to reduce the vermin problems in the sewer.
-> Norran is seeking allies to fight orcish incursions in his homeland.
-> Berry has failed out of wizard school and is thieving to support himself.

That's a tricky one. One random option would be: Berry steals something from Jasera. She chases him and runs into Norran. Since he's looking for allies he is eager to help catch the thief. Berry tries to escape to his hideout in the sewers and runs into Tilma who had just discovered it while cleaning sewers (she was probably about to take some of his stuff too).
That's not great and is very random. But the best I could come up with in 2 min. (Better than the "they meet in tavern")

I agree that the party should have a bond of trust and respect from the start, even if it is fledgling.

Knife and Demagor, what if the Elf noble that Jasera is searching for was the wizard that Berry was apprenticed to? Perhaps Jasera has tracked down Berry looking for leads. I'm not sure if Berry would want to meet up with his old Master, but rescuing nobles can be profitable.

Sounds like Tilma and Berry are co-workers of sorts, or at least their professions brought them in contact. I really like that angle. So what was the event that brought them together? Did they band together when ambushed by giant centipedes in the sewers? Help one another evade the law? Maybe Berry supplies Tilma with soap and she doesn't ask questions about his five-fingeres discount? Just some ideas, feel free to come up with your own 😁

Mormegil, I can see Norran fitting in with this group naturally. He's a tough guy and this party could use more muscle. As an elf, he's got a natural connection to two of the party members, and with his quest to capture souls to defend his homeland, this group looks like they'll get into plenty of trouble, as well as be good fun to be around.

Any specific connection you want to flesh out? Does Jasera's to save an elven noble speak to Norran? Maybe working with Tilma in the sewers presents him with opportunities for soul gathering? Or have you run into Berry on his escapades and formed a sort of Fafhrd and Grey Mouser duo?

Feel free to ignore all that and come up with your own ideas, this is just to get the ball rolling 😁

1. It's a shame I couldn't use that item since it's part of my backstory...but I guess it makes sense I have to ''prove worthy'' of it first rather than it already having its abilities being with the tribe for many millennia...

2. I never knew there was a subclass like that. The spirit warrior with me is just gonna be used to roleplay how Norran uses his Barbarian Rage ability since he is such a happy go lucky guy slow to anger he needs some ''help'' so that's where Angry Jondalar come in possessing him to rage...I was leaning towards a Totem warrior subclass in the PHB but that class you mentioned looks really interesting and fits the theme I am going for however I don't have the books to play that class sadly.

3. I don't think he shares much similarity with the other elves other than shared ancestry...The wood elf tribe Norran comes from is pretty isolationist in outlook so I think he would have difficulty conversing with them as well as the others although his mission necessitates him to work with other people though...

1. Mormegil, we were talking about that and we agree it is a shame not to use that item. Your character concept makes more sense if he has that item. If you agree to use the item for roleplay purposes only, we will allow it. For example, you could catch the souls of some thugs who tried to gut you in the streets after dispatching them. But, you couldn't use it in combat to one-shot a banshee, or sell it to the magical university for a handsome sum. How does that sound?

2. These things always find their way on the internet somehow 🤣. This site has the details, and feel free to override the flavour with your own intended one. Also, Path if the Totem warrior is 100% awesome too. I only mentioned Ancestral Guardian because it sounds like a cool match for the concept. It won't be important until 3rd level anyway, so no need to decide now.

3. Yes, you're playing an elf from a distant part of the world. Other elves in the setting might see almost like a being that walked out of myths.

I feel the noble could be someone from someone else's backstory, but also realize that it's also her father- a skilled elven swordsman (or at least he was 100 +/- years ago). He was taken captive, so his fate is a mystery (leaving many options for you to take liberty with) but it's unlikely he would have taken to a path of the arcane arts; especially when his house was known for agile and evasive yet deadly swordsmen; a modernized take on the bladesinger, if you will.

Need any more help with the character sheet, Demagor? In addition to those 2 skill proficiencies, Folk Hero also gives you proficiency with Land Vehicles and one type of artisan's tools (your choice). It comes with starting equipment as well unless you prefer to roll for money and buy your own gear. Your choice of armor (via Ranger gear package or bought a la carte) will help determine your Armor Class. Hmm.... what else am I missing from your sheet? Oh, weapons.

Wouldn't it be too early to find your father? It doesn't need to be him. It can be someone else. As you said in your backstory, she doesn't really know for now. She wants to see just in case. Just my opinion.

All sounds good to me!

I'll look for "Land Vehicles" and pick something appropriate... but if it doesn't fit the character, can I simply waive that benefit?

I'll browse the "artisan's tools" list and find something fitting her, and I'm a little more confident that I'll see something which works with the build.

She will lean on agility and evasiveness as her strengths in the defensive front; she is not a tank and will never be one, but she isn't a ship mast-leaping buccaneer nor a Musketeer, so I expect there is no need for the lightest armor available. I don't doubt that I can isolate a suitable medium.

Lastly, I'll probably keep things simple and begin with one of the standardized equipment lots and on the matter of weapons, she is competent in the use of bows, but her strength is in her skill with blades. I've not decided if she's going single-blade or dual, but the emphasis will definitely be on blades.

Aha! My assumptions are to blame, then. I assumed that you said that the wizard could be the noble she was after, but since the noble from her background was her father, I accidentally put two-and-two together. My fault. Now, not knowing much about him or what he looks like (or if he's even alive), considering he left her when she was a young child, there may be several people she is trying to get in touch with that might give her some direction, advice, etc. on the central path towards a reunion with her father.

I don't expect she'll find him anytime soon and it was always a very good possibility that she would never find him, or learn that he has died. Granted, the latter could then turn her life's goal from a mission of recovery, to one of revenge.

Ok, Tilma and Berry at together. That's settled. Now hat about the other two? I presume that they meet before they meet us? Or is it otherwise?
If it's the first how does it happen? I'm curious :) do tell.
Bump into each other at the gates? Norran would be glad to encounter another non-city elf I believe. Hanging together is better than being alone and lost in a big city.
And then it could lead to this :
To get the whole party together.

I should have made clear from the onset of creating that item that I will use it for ROLEPLAYING only and not have a mechanical edge. Lol sorry for that but I am aware that giving level 1 characters OP magical items is a game-breaker, that's why I designed that item just to tie in with my backstory! Don't worry I won't be one-shotting ghosts with this necklace. It will just be a divining rod for ghosts and spirits. I still need to ''convince'' spirits to join me and if that fails then we will just go on normally (Unless the GMs would like to RP critical failures to spice things up lol) and go on adventuring. His primary concern anyway is to try and enlist the help of living people first and will only rely on the Ezelsule if all things fail and there's a possibility the stone and Norran won't find any spirits ever while in Iskander again the discretion is with you GMs. So yeah strictly for RP purposes only ^^

In regards to meeting up with the other characters, I guess I can go with whatever... finding a fellow Wood Elf in a big city sounds good and I imagine he has stuck with the other two elves after one or both of them found Norran sleeping in a gutter somewhere maybe bought him food and drink in a tavern and decided to educate the naive barbarian to the ways of city folk. Now he is beholden to those two and has pledged his service to whatever their mission is in Iskander as long as it won't take more than a year (his homeland is still under the threat of a mass orc invasion) and as long as if they help him to find people to defend his village...

that or whatever works ^^

So then Demagor? Which one of us saves him from the gutter? Either one of us is fine with me. Can be both of us too.

While Jasera is neither prissy nor squeamish, unless she has a viable lead on the location of her father or the location of someone who may have an idea of where he is, the odds of her randomly wandering into a town's sewers are between none and none-at-all.

Also, it would be unlikely that she take up a job culling rats for some petty cash. She's quite self-sufficient and has very few needs, so there's little interest or desire to pursue the shiny coin.

Ok, then Tilma will find him if you wish. I don't mind. What she is looking for sits well with this. She wants to find a boyfriend to start a family. And, well, Norran is rather good looking. So saving a handsome woodelf for her is a great deal :D
Ok so on her way home from work she found a big, muscular, good looking elf lying in the gutter unconscious.(?) Being unable to carry the dude she quickly went to search for Berry. They had parted ways just a few minutes ago so it was easy to find him. Together they managed to pull the big gay to the inn where she was staying.
The inn keeper looked at them surprised. But quickly got over it when Tilma called out to her "Sorry madam, I couldn't leave such a cutie outside in the rain. Could you please bring us some towels and food? I'll pay for him!" To that the innkeeper, who was a kind, plump woman in her 40s hurried in the back room.
Tilma looked up at the woodelf girl who was speaking with the innkeeper when they arrived. "Could you help us get him on the chair please? He's heavy! " She pointed towards a big armchair.
PS. The girl is Jasera who was asking the innkeeper for information and perhaps looking for a place to stay.

So how does that sound.

Very interesting, thanks for bringing up Jasera's aversion to sewers! It is likely that you have heard that the criminal element makes great use of underground tunnels. These are more often than not storm sewers to deal with heavy rains rather than sanitation sewers, although sometimes the two intersect.

If Jasera has been on the hunt even for a few days in Iskandar, there is a good chance he's noticed that the criminal underworld of Iskandar thrives underground where the City Watch does not tread. Getting her bearings below ground could be advantageous / important in the search.

Oh, I'm completely open to the idea and I hope it wasn't taken as me saying that she absolutely WON'T go down there- just that it's not the sort of thing she would do without good cause.

Frankly, there are few places she goes to without good cause. She's methodical, habitual, precise. She does few things randomly, everything is always with a purpose. She isn't perfect, so the decision to go- or not to go- someplace may turn out to be a bad call. However, she's very deliberate about her actions and very strongly believes in The Unseen Fate- the belief that no matter what choice or decision you think you're making, you're really not. The script is already written. When you're about to go right, and then decide to go left, you didn't trick/fool fate. It always knew you were going to go left.

While Jasera has her own agenda, and that always wins out over anyone else's agenda, she is not a fool. She knows that sometimes you must give before you can take. You must let out some line before you can reel the fish in. She recognizes how there will be times when you must help others in order to get them to help you; this is the way of the world. She is not about riches and power, she is just as interested in the value of the barter than of a shimmering gem.

Convincing her to help with something or someone is by no means impossible, there would just need to be a justifiable return for her, and that is rarely something of monetary value. The only things she would ever really need/use money for would be for better equipment (which can be justified as being a means to improve her odds of accomplishing her life's goal), to buy information (for much the same reasons), or to reserve room and board in environments (like Iskandar) where a sturdy bough or a hidden cave are not practical (or available) to spend the night on/in. She has no personal interest in money but also acknowledges the fact that it's how the (read: this) world works.

Character connections seem to be falling into place! We'll review the discussion and type up a summary of what has been discussed, partially to make sure we've digested it correctly and also to let players sign off on it and note any missing gaps or whatnot. This can evolve during the game, too.

I think we have a good enough idea of how we know each other to jump into Iskandar for an adventure starting this week! We're aiming to do a quick, action-packed intro to give you a chance to experience the game's mechanics. The sewers seem to be a location we've talked about, so I figured we could start there. Tilma has discovered a an area in her tunnels devoid of pests, which means there's something big down there scaring them away or devouring them all. So, she brings the whole team in. The more dangerous the beast, the more gold they are worth, and The Rat Catcher's Guild pays by the head.

After we are done this short adventure, you'll have a chance to make changes to your character - maybe a feature you selected didn't turn out to be as fun as you thought, or you wished you had set up your stats differently.

How does this sound?

That sounds extremely fair.

All thumbs up for me

ditto...

Yes from me

@Jabes & @len

Please review Jasera at your earliest convenience. I need to know what still needs to be done, if anything; though I'm sure I've missed something.

I believe your character sheet is all set, Demagor! 👍

Thanks again for the opportunity, Len.

Starting the character creation by rolling attributes.

So that's : 10, 11, 15, 14, 9, 5.

So I guess standard array it is... I'm considering different options for the character. Thought an arcane caster could be a good complement to the party, and if he/she could do some healing, that would be great. Don't want to play a bard, though, not confident that my writing skills are up to the task. As a wizard, I could take the theurge tradition, which allows the wizard to learn clerical spells. As a sorceror, divine soul ancestry could also allow casting clerical magic (can cast more often, but a narrower selection). Or I could do a Cleric with the Arcane Domain. If you all have any suggestions, preferences, don't hesitate to voice them. I'm not very attached to any concept so far, so I'm open to any ideas.

Do it randomly 😜

Welcome matmaisan! Since your character will use divine magic, I should mention a bit about the religion of the world.

Myths tell of Elder Gods that created the world, but they left long ago and very few revere them or even remember. Today people worship the New Gods, more akin to angels and nature spirits in other settings. They hold very specific titles and portfolios, and they might only hold sway in certain regions of the world. Some of them are mortals that ascended to godhood, others are concepts given life by worshippers. Although they don't age they can be killed, and all require worship or they will fade and die.

The most popular religion in Iskandar is the Church of Lothian. It is based around a martyred saint named Lothian who rose from his own grave and ascended into Heaven, becoming the most powerful of the gods according to his followers. In fact, the harshest of Lothian doctrines maintains that Lothian discovered that all other beings claiming to be gods were actually demons in disguise; this belief teaches that he rose again to bring order to the previously disordered, godless universe. This was the state religion of the Vendian Empire, which has endured after the Empire's collapse twenty years ago.

I won't list all the New Gods you might worship as there thousands. Here are some related to magic:



Also feel free to define your own god. There might be multiple gods of magic and wizardry with different, competing followings.

This is very interesting, Len. Really like the idea of a god of lost secrets, and will probably have my PC be a follower, even if he’s not a cleric. Not yet sure if I’ll build a divine caster that dabbles in arcane mysteries or a wizard that can cast a few select priest spells. Tending towards the latter, since I already play my share of clerics. I liked the idea of the mystic theurge in 3.5, so I might actually try a build with an arcane caster that multiclasses into a cleric at a later stage, or vice versa.

Sounds great matmaisan. Arcana Domain cleric is definitely the easiest way to make that happen, but multiclassing cleric/wizard definitely opens up more options for customizability. Feel free to reflavor things to match the Mystic Theurge concept.

@Knifesedgegames, matmaisan was thinking about connecting his character's backstory to your downtime research activity. Since he is a worshiper of the god of lost secrets and an aspiring mage, he might have been somebody that helped you uncover the secret of the Seal of Astaroth. Are you down with that? Feel free to figure out the details together.

@matmaisan what kind of time frame do you need for making your character? no rush, just wanting to know approximately when we should exoect to start up again. I think we will run as a party of three for now.

To further reduce pressure, I'm cool with all players tweaking their characters as they go, so if you try it one way and regret it, you can always change it later.

Absolutely! Makes sense, perhaps a connection made during Berry’s magical studies before he quit and now his go-to guy for this kind of research.

I'm actually going to do something simpler for now. I'm going for a Clr1 (Knowledge domain) and Wizard1 (tending towards divination). So s/he will have access to both spell lists from the get-go, no need to take subclasses/traditions just to have access to some spells from each list. As the game progresses I'll start making choices that make sense in the context of the game. I'm thinking of the character as someone obsessed with secrets and knowledge, brought up in a scholarly tradition (cloistered scholar background). A bookish indiana Jones of sorts. Eager to go into the world and unearth its secrets after many winters spent in a Monastery s/he really liked. I'm thinking a variant human with Keen Mind. Once I'm settled with the character concept, I should be able to move swiftly to complete the sheet and submit it.

Would make sense that Knifesedge's character and s/he would have known each other in earlier times, and since my character would have privileged access to a Library, she would become an invaluable information source. Having been consulted on thius mysterious door, my character would have volunteered to join the party in its investigation.

Also, do you need me to fill in the GP 5th ed sheet, or do you prefer working with a DnDBeyond link, Len?

Character sounds great!

The GP sheet would be ideal. There is a charavter-specific die roller built in to the site now. It provides buttons to make checks, saves, etc by just clicking on the ability or whatnot.

I apologize for my extended (and more importantly, unannounced) absence!

Welcome to the game, @matmaisan!

wb Jabes

Welcome back Jabes

Thank you Jabes! I’m thrilled to be joining. Let me just try to wrap up my character!

Looking forward to seeing your character, matmaisan!

So, I've submitted my character.

Len had suggested that I begin with a week of downtime in which Laurent would research the Seals of Astaroth and, in particular, whether the balance of attitudes of knowledgeable people with regards to these seals was positive ('Astaroth's seals keep us safe from the eldritch horrors below, they should never be meddled with!') or negative ('By hiding these accesses to this mythic underworld, Astaroth has deprived Iskandar of the opportunity to plunder the wealth, artifacts and history that lay idly beneath our unknowing eyes". Not knowing what wealth he has accrued in his path to level 2, I am unsure as to how much he could spend to increase his chances of finding something useful.

Also, regarding his gear, Laurent would like to equip himself somewhat better: since his clerical training gives him access to light and medium armor and shields, the question of his wealth would determine if he could buy a breastplate and shield, or some other mix of defensive items.

Good question matmaisan. You'll just have the gold you acquired from character creation (which isn't much) but we can waive the 50gp fee for library access (account for in your background). Let's also ignore your lifestyle expense for this downtime since you didn't have a first level adventure to acquire gold to fund it.

So, consult "Research" in the downtime activities thread for the way to resolve research. Basically make an Intelligence check and consult the table. Roll a d10 for complications; on a 1 there is a complication.

You can do your rolling and narrating in Downtime Sessions thread.