Character Creation Discussion

Here's a place to tell everyone what your character build is and what they're all about roleplaying wise. Feel free to coordinate backstories and mechanics to make for a fun and effective team. Also, this is a good place to ask me any questions about the adventure that might influence your character creation process. Let's have characters complete by Monday January 9th.

Just a reminder...

Allowed Races: Only Dwarf (hill or mountain)
Allowed Classes: Anything from the PHB or SCAG.
Allowed Backgrounds: Anything from PHB or SCAG.
Allowed Spells: Anything from PHB, EE, or SCAG.
Allowed Alignments: Anything but evil
Starting Level: 4
Multiclassing & Feats: Yes and yes.
Pantheon: The Morndinsamman
Ability Score Generation: Point Buy or Standard Array as per PHB p.13

While coming up with the personality and backstory of your character, remember that the characters are being selected for this important mission because they possess unique skills, impressive achievements, or an excellent reputation. Your character backstory should answer this question: Why was your character selected for this mission?

Also, you can start with any non-magical armor and weapons in the PHB and any mundane equipment that you could logically expect to procure from a Dwarven city. In addition you will receive a single magical item as gift at the beginning of the adventure. Please let me know if you'd like that to be a weapon, an armor or shield, or a wondrous item. One exception: If you choose Plate armor, you have to select armor as your magic item (I'll make it mithril plate).

I have gone with a Hill Dwarf Warlock named Finn

Thanks for getting us started, Snowycoldfood (how do you want me to address you?). You mentioned you liked to play on gamersplane.com to experiment with character ideas, so what were you trying out when you made Finn? Also, can you tell us about Finn's personality?

Everyone shortens it to Snowy. As for Fin I've never played a warlock and let alone with a Dwarf those two just don't really seem to go together. I feel like his a rather tanky Warlock (not sure though).

The dwarf warlock is definitely a unique character build, Snowy. Can you put a little more "meat on the bones" so to speak? There is definitely the beginnings of an interesting character here. What is Finn like and why did he choose to make a pact with a patron rather than a more traditional Dwarven path?

Also, the questions about why he would be chosen for the mission and the magic item still await your (and everyone else's) response.

I was thinking of going classic with it and building a fighter, chosen for the mission because he's well-known for being something of a hero around his home town.

You can never go wrong with a Dwarven fighter, CosmicKeyring (how would you like me to address you?). Thatguy2 is building a Mountain Dwarf Battlemaster. So how did your character become a hero? You might want to check out the thread "The Adventure" for some setting information to help you out. For example, there has a been a long-standing war between the stout folk of Kaled Del and the Goblin King's armies.

Most people go with Cosmic, but I'm not picky. And I wanted to say that a group of goblins attempted to take over his village and he led the townsfolk against them.

I almost went warlock (for no other reason than I found a cool pic) but since Snowy has got that covered and we already have two fighters, I might go cleric (never played cleric before, in ANY edition) or maybe paladin. I've never played Bard either - that might be fun too! :-D

Update: Ok, I'm building a Tempest Cleric.

So my character sheet is just about done. One question first, does anyone have any idea what iron spikes are for?

Jabes: A tempest cleric will be a fantastic addition to this party. Lots of utility and combat power in one character. A holy man also makes sense, and since you are going to the surface a worshipper of the sky makes so much sense. Thanks for being a team player and adjusting your character to suit the party.

As for the magic item, just tell me what TYPE you want: weapon, armor, or wondrous item. In game, the Gathering Council will select the specific item you get. I will attempt to match it to your character and keep it balanced across the party.

Cosmic: I don't see iron spikes in the equipment section, but presumably they are the same as pitons. Pitons are metal spikes that can be driven into rock or ice to provide holds and rope anchors for climbing. Creative minds can think of all sorts of uses. For example, characters have been "spiking" doors shut since D&d was invented by driving it into the floor in front so that it can't be swung open. Generally you need a hammer to pound them in.

They're listed on the equipment table as Spikes, iron, but there's no description for them.

Thatguy, what fighting style did you pick for your character?

I assume they're used for door spiking and wedging in pressure plates, I suppose separately from pitons which are only for climbing and rope anchors?

I chose two-weapon fighting

Len could my guy's magical item be a shot of armor his husband gave him?

Interesting idea, thatguy (how should I call you?). The items were to be presented to the party by the Gathering Council in the opening scene to enhance the expedition's chance of success. How can we fit your character's husband into that? Perhaps he is there to present his armor? It also makes me wonder why your husband has magical armor where as you do not. Is he high rank? Older? Wealthier? Of noble birth? We can waive these questions, but they might inspiring interesting ideas too.

Perhaps the armor is a parting gift and it's only recently been completed?

I'll be taking the Great Weapon Fighting fighting style, using a maul.

I'm thinking I'll go with a wondrous item for my magic item.

So I'm thinking both of them would be young and his husband is a noble

Nice idea Cosmic. It would work especially well with the scene if Thatguy's husband was a famous smith.

Okay that's fine. Didn't see your post because of the new page :)

Cosmic and Jabes, please make sure to upload your character sheets tonight.

Finally submitted my Tempest Cleric, Torden Stormhammer. He's just missing one very important thing: a Background. I'm not sure if any of the available ones fit. I see him as a traveler. Not a nomad, precisely (so Outlander doesn't really work), he still has very strong ties to Kaled Del but he spends a lot of time on the surface and is a worshipper of Morthammor Duin. Would it make sense to tweak a Sailor so it's land-based?

Weapon for the magic item, I think. Torden favors the maul. :-)

Jabes, here is a homebrew one I saw on reddit.

Oops, got cut off there before I finished. Edited now. That's an interesting one, thatguy2. Let's see what Len says. :-)

yep :)

Character submitted!

Thanks Cosmic and Jabes. Both characters look great. Jabes, go ahead and use the Wanderer homebrew background if you like, or feel free to reflavour Sailor as a wanderer.

Should we be specifying whether our PC is a Breacher or a Preacher? We would know that about each other, right?

Thorin Copperhearth grew up as the son of a soldier and his wife. He ultimately joined the army as cavalry, where he would meet the noble captain Bruenor Copperhearth. The two courted and ultimately left the army to be married. He has proven himself repeatedly, being one of the fastest ones to rise through the ranks of the army, which is why he was selected. Hopefully this works let me know if I need to fill in anything

If it's alright with the DM, I'd like to say that Aldrik led the charge to force the goblins out of his own town, and has since then done the same for at least a few others.

Thanks for those backstories Cosmic, Thatguy, and Snowy. I'll try to include what I can of that in the story. Snowy especially, sorry I didn't get a chance to include the crime fighter aspect in your character intro; I did my post at work, and for some reason this thread didn't update on our internet.

Jabes had an interesting question. Your characters can side with Breachers or Preachers to whatever degree you want, or remain undecided. In general, connect your character to the story in any way that feels authentic and fun.

What exactly are breachers and preachers?

Thanks Jabes. In case the story is still obfuscating the meaning of those words:

Breachers = the Dwarves who want to dig deeper into the earth, even though their father's father's fathers swore never to dig below a certain depth (the Oathreach).

Preachers = the Dwarves who do not want to dig past the Oathreach under any circumstance, even if it means their kingdom must be abandoned.

ok ao my guy is a Preacher

No problem I'll run with the magic school thing my guys the cool professor :)

Your backstory can also be true. As a charlatan you have a secret identity, maybe that's your crime fighting persona. Also I added the clan name "Stonelost" which is the clan name for Dwarves that do not have a clan.

Here's a summary of the characters that are in the game at the moment. Gabes, please calculate Torden's HP. And Snowy, as a Hill Dwarf, how do you only have 8 Wisdom?

Aldrik Ironfist: CG Mountain Dwarf Champion Fighter / Folk Hero
HP: 52 AC: 19 Stats: 18|10|16|10|12|12
Great Weapon Fighting Style, Tavern Brawler Feat

Torden Stormhammer: NG Mountain Dwarf Tempest Cleric / Traveller
HP: ?? AC: 16 Stats: 16|12|16|10|16|8
Cleric Spellcasting, Wrath of the Storm, Channel Divinity

Finn Stonelost: CG Hill Dwarf Pact of the Chain Warlock (Great Old One patron) / Charlatan
HP: 43 AC: 12 Stats: 12|13|18|0|8|16
Pact Magic, Sprite Familiar,

Thorin Coppperhearth: LG Mountain Dwarf Battlemaster Fighter / Soldier
HP: 40 AC: 18 Stats: 17|13|16|11|11|11
Two-Weapon Fighting Style and Battlemaster Maneuvers