Character development

How do I determine the number of hp I have

At first level, you get whatever your class has for a base hit point, plus whatever your constitution modifier is. For paladins, I think that is 1d10. So you'll likely end up between 10 and 14 HP, depending on how you allocate your stats.

I was reading the Handbook and it says to get with your dm if you want to do the soldier rout with your character. So to make it easier in just changed it to noble if that's cool.

really, most of the backgrounds have a bit about talking to the DM. the soldier bit is figuring out what your rank was and such. For nobles it's to figure out what your noble rank was. You'd also need to adjust your skill selection and such if you change your background (since noble offers different choices than soldier).

Ahh lol ok well then I'll switch it back to soldier. I was actually a sergeant in the marine Corp so I have some background in that. Other is that too high of a rank for my character?

Actually never mind, I think I already picked the Noble traits for my character and forgot to change it from soldier in the initial build

That works for me. Sergeants in this world tend to be higher up the chain than in the Corps (think more like a gunny or thereabouts). It fits pretty well with paladin, actually.

OK I think the only switch is the persuasive ability to intimidation. What army was I apart of?

It would be one of the dwarven armies. I'll do some more looking when I get home and have access to PDFs on a better monitor

Roger that. I'll change the appropriate stats

I am gona roll for specialty

OK rolling a one says officer

Personality trait

Bond and flaw

OK I did alot of updating to my character sheet in order to flush out my character more and make it easier for me to write a backstory if you would be so kind as to check it over at your earliest convenience and make sure that you're okay with all the changes I've made.

At a glance it all looks good.

Well then my only other question is should I write the backstory on this channel because my character sheet is getting quite full?

It's up to you. Either one works for me.

I'll set it up here. I am researching some stuff now on mountain dwarfs now so I should have a rough draft in a couple days. Just want to say thanks again and thanks for dming this campaign for us. I really appreciate it.

Not a problem! It's been fun so far. Plus, everyone has to have a "newbie" playing experience. You guys will end up with a little more player agency and fun ability type stuff once you're free of the drow.

The frost beard Clan originates from the mountains of Aegis. In their stronghold of jornheim. But their home has become stricken  by a civil war caused by the questionable trading practices of outsiders.

Cemos frostbeard, a paladin dwarf and follower of the mountain god Dumathoin, spends most of his days practicing the art of the warrior priesthood of jornheim and collecting alms from parishioners who still keep the faith.

In cities deep in the Underdark live the duergar, or gray dwarves. These vicious, stealthy slave traders raid the surface world for captives, then sell their prey to the other races of the Underdark. They have innate magical abilities to become invisible and to temporarily grow to giant size. It was these creatures that captured cemos and forced him into the slavery that he finds himself in now.

 This is not the first time cemos has faced hardship. He was a sergeant in the glorious army of Jornheim. During his days as a Soldier he faced many hardships and was forced to make decisions that still haunt him to this day. His only wish now is to restore the honor of his clan buy forcing the outsiders to leave his home and finally bring peace to his people.

More to follow

I like it. Change it up to the Glorious Army of Jornheim (fits better with the vision of Mountain Dwarves in my head :) )

Feel free to elaborate on any decisions that haunt you in this forum. They may turn into snippets of things later in the adventure.

OK I am thinking the oath of devotion fits with cemos the most. Turning undead and such and already being a keeper of the dead just works I think. I would like a good point in game to actually take my oath and really rp the ish out of it. Also I was planning on filling out the back story a bit more this weekend but till then the next post will be on my break around 4ish eastern time. Just want to say I am having a great time and thank you for taking time out of your day to let us live in this world you have created for us and I can't wait to see where the group goes from here.

I'm glad you're enjoying it, you guys have played really well (and the dice have certainly fallen in your favor, I kid you not, every time there was a check to see if there was drow in a space, it landed on "nope, empty room".) Made your escape much easier BUT you now have a bigger force on your tails.

Oath of Devotion works for me. As for a good point in game, when you guys make camp tonight, it could be a great opportunity. You've just escaped from certain slavery, you managed to keep everyone (save for arrogant mr. ront) alive, and even turned the attitudes of the other prisoners. High on emotion and adrenaline, you could swear your oath before a bonfire and all that fun stuff. You'll want to swear it sooner than later, as you'll be missing your key abilities and such.

Also, remember to figure out which spells you want to prepare. You can prepare 3. Additionally, when you swear your oath, you gain Protection from Evil and Good and Sanctuary as "always prepared" spells that don't count towards that total of 3. Anything here as a 1st level spell is eligible for you to prepare. You only have to prepare it once and it'll be available for casting. You can cast up to three times a day total OR you can use a spell slot to use Divine Smite in combat. Once you prepare your spells, those are the ones you have prepared until you take time after a long rest to change them. So you could prepare new ones every day or you could prepare a batch once and be pretty much done with it until you want to change them. Changing will always take an hour of meditation and prayer after you finish a long rest (8 hours).

Iv got what I think I want ready to go, and the bone fire thing sounds cool but I don't want to make a spectacle of it in front of all the npc's so mabe I'll wait till I am on watch and if someone happens to be awake or perceives me praying that's cool. I'll write something up tonight and post it before I go to bed.

Works for me! If you would prefer to have it as a private RP, feel free to do it in this thread as well. Totally up to you.

Also, nice selections for your spells.

Prayer of devotion:

Cemos stands guard over the sleeping group as he walks back and forth between the light of the bonfire and his compatriots. As he marches his mind begins to fill with thoughts of his past and the decisions that have lead him to this point in his life. He remembers Jornheim and his fellow warrior priests, he starts to think of the event that lead him to leave the army and his home in search of a power great enough to destroy the evil that plagued his land.

 Dextel...the name berns in his mind like a hot poker. His pulse quickens and he begins to fill with rage. Just then the fire snaps with a hiss and draws the attention of Cemos. He stops for a moment to peer into the flames. As he becomes ever fixed on the dance of the flames they begin to take shape and in the heart of the embers he sees him...the necromancer Dextel.

Cemos is transported back to the day he lead squad of dwarves into the lair of the necromancer. He remembers the dead raising from their graves and subduing his men. His vision goes black and with a flash he sees his fellow dwarfs tied up in alter room. Some on the ground, throats slit drenched in a pool of their own blood and some Tethered to the altar itself, ready for sacrifice. He remembers freeing himself from his bonds and fighting his way through the onslaught of Undead and fiends alike, all the way to the footstep on the necromancer himself and then... a sharp pain at his side. He looks down to see the dagger of Dextel, thrust upon him right before he could make his final killing blow. He looks back just in time to see the coward flee. As Cemos falls to his knees he sees that all of his men have been slain, sacrifice to a nameless demon long since forgotten. As he slips into the darkness of his own mind the fire snaps again, a bright burning beacon in the dark. Cemos grabs the dagger on his belt, the same dagger that prevented him from killing the monster that slew his brothers and a constant reminder of his failure as a leader. The flames twist yet again but this time a much different picture stands before the dwarf. Slowly the flames begine to take shape to form the Visage of Dumathoin. The swarf god standing tall atop the mountain overlooking Jornheim,  pickaxe in hand and standing guard at the gates of the great city. The statue lifts it pickaxe to point it straight at Cemos. YOU KNOW THE PATH YOU MUST FOLLOW, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU MUST DO TO FREE THE SOULS OF YOUR MEN FROM THE GRASP OF EVIL. KNEEL BEFORE ME NOW AND SWEAR YOUR OATH.

Cemos walks toward the flame and draws his hammer. Dropping to one knee and driving the head of the hammer into the ground he exclaims.

I Cemos Frostbeard of the clan Frostbeard, sergeant of the Grand Army of Jornheim and Warrior priest of the mountain god Dumathoin  do swear now and for all time to follow the oath of devotion.I shall live my life by the tenets of honesty, courage, compassion, honor and Duty. I swear to hold true to these virtues so that they may lead me down the path of righteousness. I swear to root out all of the undead from my lands and strike at the heart of all those who would befoul the honored dead. I make this oath to you...God of the mountain and protector of the dead. May your wisdom guide me and my hammer point the way.

I want to post this up before hand and let you check it out. I think.it works as both flushing out my back story and my oath. Let me know what you think

I like it.

Alright I'll wait for the group to take a rest and pop it in there. I am super pumped for the rest of the group to read it.

It's a good bit! You guys are at the point now where Sarith suggests to make camp. You guys need to decide if you're going to do it there or move elsewhere.

Well it doesn't look like anyone is gona post again tonight. I don't want to miss my opportunity and I am about to hit the bed. So if you don't mind don't push the narrative past the camp scene till I can drop that epic monologue in lol.

Nope, not planning on it. :) You need your fireside moment.

Don't know if I should just post it now or if I should wait to see if anyone want to do anything before we set up camp for the night