Character Concepts & Campaign Info

Whoa! I found the game thread!
Sorry for figuring this out so late; I'm pretty new to this site as well as DnD overall, so this will be an interesting experience.

I made my character already, but I can tweak him around if need be. I was going for human outlander ranger. Hunter/gatherer from a very small, almost self-sufficient village (mostly family) in some Very Distant Woodlands. Frequents the closest town/city to sell pelts/meat/etc. Kind of a tough exterior loner by necessity, but deep down he has a love for nature and the unbridled wilderness. Being the liaison for his village is really just an excuse to travel outside of his native woodlands.
If any part of that doesn't line up with the world, let me know.

I also realize after reading this thread that I did his stats wrong, I gave him the plus 1 to all stats AND took the +1 to two stats and the feat. Didn't realize it was either/or. I'll go fix that now.

Useful cheat-sheet I found for various stuff (actions, conditions, etc):
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7n5bpadgZz4WmRIdE1HeVBaeFk/edit

Also, it took me a while to get my head round how Clerics prepare/cast spells but I think it boils down to:
- Clerics "know" all their spells (unlike Wizards who only "know" the ones they have in their spellbooks).
- They prepare WIS modifier + character level spells.
- They cast spells by using up a spell slot of that level or greater.
- So as a lvl1 Cleric with a WIS mod of +2, I can prepare 3 1st level spells.
- When casting I can cast a max of 2 different spells (because I have 2 1st level spell slots) before I run out of slots to cast with.
- Changing prepared spells is done after a long rest.

Cantrips are slightly different - I have a permanent set list of cantrips I know (which increases at later levels) but they can be cast whenever without using spells slots.

With that in mind, I guess it makes more sense for the spell list on my character sheet to be my list of cantrips plus currently prepared spells?

Yeah, that sounds right to me. The way I always played 1st/2nd ed, clerics didn't need to memorize particular spells ahead of time (they could just cast whatever until they used up their slots) but I do recall memorization being explicitly required in 5th.

I think technically it's "prepare" rather than "memorise", but yeah.

Carillon Tintinnabulum is a nearly middle aged Dwarven wizard just leaving his prime of life from the far off land of Jerma. When he was a child his people, prone to mining, and greedy for the earths treasures as they are, dug too deep and let loose upon themselves demonic and devilish forces that sought only tyranny and chaos. What few magic users the clan had managed to seal off wherever the infernal creatures came from, but the experience changed Carillon, instilling him a curiosity into what these creatures could do, where they came from, and most importantly how they could be stopped. Having learned all he can in his own lands, he has chosen to travel abroad and learn even more.

He carries with him a journal containing every fact, rumor and legend about demons and Devils that it's been within his power to obtain, and he guards this tome fiercely, lest it fall into the wrong hands.

Rather than a spell book, he carries a variety of bells that he braids into his beard in different configurations, depending on what spells he's prepared for that day.
Rather than the traditional wizards staff, he carries a warhammer with the head being a massive bronze bell

He wears a purple beret tall on his head, and wooden sanders, both of which give him the illusion at least three inches of extra height to compliment his stocky 4' 3"

(I exchanged one of the inkwells and some of the gold that his background provides in order to get the warhammer, if that's not kosher he can just carry a staff until he can come across a more dwarven weapon.)

Looks like everybody's got their character ready, so we're on track to start adventuring this coming week.

I feel like Carillon and Felor, both outlanders from Jerma, might know each other already. Vad and Tzipporah seem like they might have a pre-existing relationship, too. Frekki, we determined, is probably from the mountain city in north Bload, and Leth could be from the woodlands near there.

Check out the new thread ("About Bload") and let me know if you have any additions to your backgrounds based on the info there.

Felor grew up learning the ways of healing as an apprentice to the local medicine man in a remote mountain village in Northern Jerma. When his mentor died, he took over the role of healer for the surrounding villages, and became known as a gruff and taciturn character, but a dependable person to turn to in times of crisis. Living on his own, a short hike from the nearest settlement, he came to value the peace and tranquillity of the wilderness and the closeness to nature.
In time, the locals forgot his origins and even his full name, and he became known simply as Felor, or Felor-of-the-mountain.
One night, while camping in a mountain pass, he was visited in his dreams by Fjorgyn, goddess of mountains and the wilderness.
She blessed him for his services to the villagers and local tribes, and commended his devotion to nature. Finally she gave him a task... But when Felor awoke he could not recall what the task was. It continues to trouble him that was was given an important mission but cannot remember it.

Felor has crossed paths with Carillon before leaving Jerma, and is wary of anyone who would dabble in demonology, whatever their motives.



Felor carries with him a spear and light hammer, both traditional weapons of his people, and a large circular shield adorned with the holy symbol of Fjorgyn - a mountain on a blue background.

Frekki Mornraven was raised in the mountain city of Dule, and while growing up was constantly surrounded by guards, soldiers, and explorers. As she grew up she was constantly training and preparing herself (You can read?!) to make something of herself in Dule's small army. When she was old enough she joined immediately, and progressed quickly for awhile. Eventually, when a war came, she thought she'd had her ticket to find some fame and glory for herself. Much to her surprise, when she received her orders it wasn't a call to battle, but it was for her stay home and defend her city. Her frustration grew and grew as those around her cycled back and forth from combat to Dule but she stayed. She had joined the military to make something of herself, not sit on her arse and wait for a fight.

As soon as the war ended, she retired from Dule's army. She'd had a reputation for being hot-headed and being rash, but she'd taken the slight as a personal grievance. If she would not be allowed to win a name for herself and for Dule, she'd have to win it on her own.

She knows Leth from a few run-ins, but mostly because she'd sometimes be on patrols from Dule to his village.

Her preferred weapon is a two-handed greatsword, because it's almost as tall as she is. She also carries hand-axes and javelins, because sometimes things are sadly too far away to hit with her sword.

She's very superstitious, particularly about outlanders (Do you really eat babies?), and isn't trusting of them until she's been in a fight with them. At which point, it's like she's known them since birth. She is devout to her animistic religion when it suits her.

Are any of the city states particularly prone to slavery? I'm thinking Tzipporah is an escaped slave who now lives on the lam using her charisma and wiles to get by. Maybe even perhaps a slave to a witch living in or near the swamp city of Fenboc? I'm thinking she contacted her Patron through secrets gleamed from her former master.

Carillon would be used to suspicious treatment by others, knowing full well the risks associated with the knowledge he holds. He'd also have his own reservations about a religious type, finding deities no less dangerous than hell-spawn. He's be far from unfriendly though, and glad to see another from his homelands, regardless of how standoffish he may appear.

Some of the cities do allow slavery; Felboc would definitely be one of them.

I'm working on getting the first in-game adventure post up today. Just to let you know how things are coming along as far as working all your backstories into the initial setup, you're all probably going to cross paths somewhere up in the Sthombo region. Carillon and Felor, both from Jerma, probably would have landed around there when they came over; Frekki and Leth are both from Dule and would pass near there on their way south to bigger and better things; Tzipporah could have head up there to put some distance between herself and Felboc, and I think she and Vad would probably have bonded over the fact of having magical powers in common, and might have worked together in a few small-time schemes (in this world, there's not always a lot of professional distinction between entertainers and charlatans) on their way up there.

It's the end of summer, it's been raining hard for the past week, and there are rumors of giants in the foothills around Sthombo -- Dule's raids on their strongholds have a tendency to displace them, and they become Sthombo's problem for a while.

There's a new ruler in Hazard, which puts an end to a year of plotting and scheming among the factions there. Gurmar and Gaad have declared war on each other over some petty territorial dispute. Koalinth pirates are more active than usual on the Channel Sea and Orsen has comissioned new, fast warships from Utwar to deal with them. A band of diplomats from the Mezian Republic is roaming the southlands, stirring up curiosity and suspicion.

To be continued in a new thread soon...

Seems reasonable to me. Can't wait to get started.

Ditto

I'm going to wait on a Vad's story a bit. I kind of like developing the character as the story moves along. I like the idea of Tzipporah and him having worked together her and there, could provide for some interesting stories later on.

This may be due to my relative new-ness to all this, but I'm a little confused here, hence my questions about territory. If Leth lives in a village in the woodlands south of Sthombo, would that really bring him into contact with Frekki or the city of Dule much? I'd think he'd be more likely to know people from Sthombo or Hazard, as those seem the most likely places he would frequent for business.

...or am I just thinking about this too hard hahaha

I was just going off of what Bull said, if it doesn't work for you we can just forget about that.

I was thinking Leth is from somewhere kind of between Dule and Sthombo. There would certainly be woodlands along the region between the mountains and the coast; the map only shows general concentrations of geographical features.

Gotcha gotcha gotcha. That makes sense.