Pre-Game

Right now I am creating my own character sheet in Google Docs and just putting that in the Notes section of the GP character sheet. Will probably post a link to it in this thread as well.

How valuable would it be to have a wizards of the cost account / access to the character generator?

Is the 4th edition generator still working? I would have thought it shut down when 5th edition came out. I used to have one when I had a regular game night, but now...I'm not sure. It'd be cool and quick to update characters, but as a player I wouldn't access it often once I had my character. I did however use it to get monsters. The GM tools were useful for me to grab monsters fast, nearly every thing was searchable. And it allows you to create custom monsters easily...that was fun. You can also drag and drop parts of monsters. I made a big bad solo that was a red dragon/mindflayer combo. My players loved fighting it.

So in the end, my opinion is that its cool but not critical. I wouldn't invest in a whole year. Maybe try it for a month. It will export character sheets as PDFs...so a the very least we could do that once and not renew. But I wouldn't want you to spend money if you have any reservations.

I would also think Wizards would have taken that service down by now.

Anyhoo, I have done the best of a bad job with my character sheet: As suggested I put all my powers into notes. I also gave Ulskah 5 'ranks' in the skills he is skilled in to represent the +5 from being skilled. Do they even have ranks in 4e, or is that a hangover from a 3.5e character sheet?

Anyway, I think I am good to go, and looking forward to our adventures!

Jabes, the Fringe Division/ X-Files group doesn't have a name yet (would you like to give it one?)
Most deaths/murders/altercations are easy for the guards to deal with. When something is stolen you can generally figure out who did it, or it isn't worth the time.
So they investigate serial killings, disappearances (could be sacrifices to a god or for a ritual), a small low hanging rain cloud that appeared over one building and hasn't moved, threats to the ruling houses, thefts of dangerous objects, sickness that breaks out. Even giving that this is a magical world, there are still unusual things. General persons don't know about all the high level spells and things that are possible.

Some questions for clarification on Kirrian

"A powerful Formorian had claimed the gateway and the surrounding area as his personal holdings."
The gateway area in the material plane(dragon pool) or feydark?
Why did fey nobility fight so hard for people of the material plane?
Is the mill outside or inside the walls of dragonpool?

Sorry if things were unclear. It wasn't so much that the Feylords wanted to protect the material plane from the Formorian. They wanted to investigate the corruption and how it seemed to create a gateway. However the Fomorian is to powerful for them to route. Kirrian offered to guard the gate in order to bind the fomorian from entering the material plane because he has a desire to protect everyone, and it let's him watch the gateway and learn how the corruption on the material world is affecting the Feywild. The fomorian controls the Feydark side of the portal and his pact with Kirrian says he has to leave the people of Dragon Pool alone. The mill, or what the building that used to be the mill is inside Dragon Pool.

Ok I've pasted all my stats & story into the Notes section of the GP character sheet, and also inserted a link to the character sheet I will maintain on Google Docs.

So here's my character introduction:

Fox Asterion, Human Hexblade
(Star Pact, Level 1)



Long before Fox Asterion was even born he was pledged to serve as an agent of the Ironwrought. It was tradition: the first-born sons of his family had all served in the crown’s military & clandestine service when they came of age. After all, the Asterion family had created the organization. The Ironwrought served as military advisers & leaders, diplomats, investigators, and spies. First-born daughters controlled the family’s business interests, which were primarily in mining and ironworks. Needless to say, between their loyalty to the crown and lucrative government contracts for the family’s business holdings, the House of Asterion did very well.

But all that almost came to an end when the land was torn apart and kingdoms were abolished in the wake of the Starfall. With no crown to act as benefactor, House Asterion has had to fight to maintain their influence in the new society. For the moment the House is part of the ruling council in Dragon Pool, but competing Houses are many, and not all are honorable in their ambition.

The Ironwrought continue to serve as guardians of the people, although there are those in some quarters, as there have always been, who are suspicious of both the organization and its founding family, believing them greedy and corrupt, with hidden sinister agendas. Whether out of malice or innocent superstition, rumors and whispers abound, particularly concerning the disappearance of Fox’s twin sister Dana ten years ago. Their father, it is whispered, made a pact with Hell to increase the power and influence of House Asterion, and to gain sorcerous powers for their agents. Yiuzras Asterion sacrificed his own daughter as part of this pact, some say. Still others whisper that the pact made had been with the Star Spawn - that House Asterion had foreseen (or had brought about) the Starfall. Perhaps no one knows the truth but the former House patriarch himself, but if so he has taken the secret to his grave. He fell ill and died soon after his daughter’s disappearance, and leadership of House Asterion, as well as the seat on the ruling council, passed to his brother Yazleon.

Fox Asterion, possessing real talent, dedication and no small amount of charm, is well-liked among the Ironwrought, particularly among those agents who are not his kinsmen. Among his kinsmen, his lack of ambition is seen as a shortcoming on one hand, and as a boon on the other, given the rumors surrounding his branch of the family. Which is not to say that he has not gained some rank in the organization. He has risen as far as lieutenant, forever chasing after the strangest of cases in the hope of finding out the truth of his sister’s mysterious disappearance. He does not know where his powers come from. He hears voices in his fevered nightmares, but they speak neither their identity nor their purpose. In these nightmares he knows only cold, brilliant blue light, and an overwhelming dread. And the single word, spoken over and over: his name. Could the rumors about his family be true? Was Dana given as payment? Payment for what? For his powers? Is there more to come? And might further payment be exacted on the day of reckoning? These and more are the questions Fox Asterion seeks to answer.

-----------------------------------
Notes:
First of all, I chose the Noble background to reflect House Asterion's station.

Next, I chose the Ironwrought theme and the Military and Urban backgrounds to represent Asterion's training in the FBI-like, state-run organization founded by his family. At first I was going to give the organization a name but I went ahead and just used Ironwrought to simplify things. This is the main organization. I'll leave the naming of the special fringe division to our GM :-)

One of my Language choices is Thieves' Cant (the secret language of the criminal underworld). I don't know if this will get much use but it's certainly in-character for Asterion's occupation.

If any corrections need to be made please let me know :-) Looking forward to starting the adventures!

Resources used:
Player’s Handbook 1
Player’s Handbook 2
Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms
Heroes of the Elemental Chaos
Dragon Magazine #393
Dragon Magazine #366

Great backstory, well linked to the setting.

I'm new to 4e, and have stumbled my way through the PHB1, PHB2 and Forgotten Realms Player's Guide to make my character. Could I ask - what are backgrounds and themes in 4e? Are they essential, or added when you make custom classes?

So... are we ready to rumble?

Thanks, harlandski! Just like you, I am a D&D veteran but this is my first time with 4E. Themes and backgrounds are chosen at character creation, I think, because that says something about what your character was before adventuring. They are optional though.
Looking forward to our adventures! :-)

I see, thanks!

By the way I tried out of idle curiosity to go to www.www.dndinsider.com and was redirected to http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/tools.aspx but everything there seemed to be working including the subscription service, though Dungeon Magazine only ran to Dec 2013. Didn't actually try spending any money but I suppose all those tools might still be available.

Specifically, Backgrounds are intended to flesh our your character history by giving you prefabricated events or occupations. Mechanically they either give you a new skill to add to your list of choices or a +2 bonus to a skill based on which background you choose. Some of them add languages to your character as well, and a rare few have more powerful benefits, but those are setting specific usually. Its really just fluff if you want if. I didn't use one because I was happy with my skill choices and totals.

Themes are a little more...mechanically influential... I guess that's how is put it. They all come with a specific advantage, usually in the fomr of an encounter or daily power that is in addition to your class and race. Its usually nothing big, just an extra trick or small attack that you might find useful that ads to the flavor of your character. I chose for my character to be a fey nobility in a self imposed exile. So I went with the Siege Noble Theme. My wizard get to summon a guardsman once per day. Well techno ally it stays around all the time but appears when I need it to. It is a summon power just like any other daily summon powers a wizard or druid might have, but the guard is weak at only having my healing surge value in HP. One good hit and she's gone. If we advance in level I can choose from a few other options for my utility powers and at 5th level I get "Fame" (it has a different name but I don't have my book with me) that basically means people pay attention when my character speaks because they don't want to insult a noble house and make "important people" angry. He might be able to get us a free room or kick someone out of their room if an inn is full, or get in to see a noble when they claim to be busy. There's another benefit at 10th level, but I forget what it is right now. In the end its just a little flavor bonus with rules support, But there are a lot of interesting options.

Thanks foolsmask, that's also helpful.

I take it backgrounds are scattered across lots of different books.

I came across this list of themes though nothing jumps out at me as being relevant to my metal bard investigative reporter.

Maybe someone has a book with some suitable backgrounds or a theme for Ulskah? Or can I make them myself to fit my character concept, and if so, how?

Or maybe I should just be happy with my simple build, which is already a lot to get my head round... :-) I'd rather start playing than worry about this extra stuff too much.

Not interested in the Fatedancer or a tweaked Athasian Minstrel? PHB2 has some basic backgrounds that you can mix & match for interesting combinations. I think your character is interesting enough with the basic build though :-) You can always add the theme later when you get a better feel for Ulskah :-) Yeah, as a fellow 4E newbie I'm also finding there's a lot to wrap your head around!. And to think we're only 1st level!

-Ravastine did you ever ask who your father was or get information about the elvin populations?

Note to Jabes I forgot to make. Warlocks and sorcerers are not overly common but are accepted if they abide by the laws. Drow and tiefling and goblins live in the city. Many racial barriers have melted down in the face of a common threat that forces close quarters living. That doesn't mean everyone gets along.
-What colour is Asterion's hair?

-Equitas takes on cases of unusual nature, threats to the city and its inhabitants. A Kubi, (agent) of equitas has a higher rank then that of the guard, and can make reasonable orders of them, get them to keep a lookout for something, search a certain district, send a message.

In my backstory, I had that Ravastine's mother never spoke of the infidelity or R's father. It could be that R suspects several elfs through rumour (nosy neighbours 'remembered' certain elves in the 'hood around the appropriate time) but she doesn't know for sure. I'll compile a list, although maybe the true father was entirely unobserved.

You don't have to but details that can effect the present or future story can be interesting.
Ravastine can you give me some details on your temple? How many priests, do commoners just come and go, or get council there, do you or anyone else sleep in the temple? Is it attended at night?

Sorry about all the questions, I'm trying to the get the continuity right to start this. And make it a non cliche opening.

The Temple to Erathis isn't very large or well kept. Once a thriving center of learning and a cultural centre of civic pride, recent generations have found other appetites for their hopes and dreams. The priests of Erathis may be to blame.

The high priest, Eckvart, took the staff with some controversy, as his main rival was found murdered in his cell. No culprit was apprehended, which had two main consequences: suspicion for the deed was cast on Eckvert, and the church was seen as less capable - afterall, if they could not solve a murder inside their own walls, what help could they offer outside them.

To date, Eckvert presides over 7 acolytes, two of some hope and standing and the other 5 more aptly described as servants. Of the two paladins of the order, one is a dour man, prone to harsh drink and harsher words, while the other is an untested girl of uncertain lineage. Together or apart, however, the stern acolytes of the church of Erathis hope to keep the darkness at bay as long as they can.

As to the public, while civil defense meetings rotate through the church along with other locations, and the cities engineers consult with the library of Erathis, the commoners who frequent the church are most likely to be merchants, career guardsmen, and the fallen rich. The poor require more promises of hope than Erathis will give, and so they only come in numbers when the rain is fierce.

Asterion's hair is black, like most of his family. Members of House Asterion have a distinctive skin coloration, tending towards a pale gray (but not sickly) with a mildly metallic sheen. Nothing as shocking as Raistlin Majere. Just different.

Here's a simplified hierarchy system for the Ironwrought, with real-world equivalents:
Tiro - recruits/ probees/ junior agents / clerks & the like
Kubi - Field agents
Dux Kubi - Senior agents/ Supervisors
Trysz Kubi - Senior Officers
Justicar - Assistant Director
Executor - Director

I don't know how big you want the entire organization to be. The head of Equitas would most certainly be from the extended Asterion family, and would probably be either a Dux or a Trysz, depending on how many members this special unit has.

I imagine the organization would be well aware of Kirrian and the Fomorian. Asterion may or may not have met Kirrian. I would assume he has met Ravastine and Ser Arnould on official business before.

I think it's great when GM's give some narrative control to players, and you are doing it quite admirably. Please know that I would hate to overstep any lines though. If for the sake of the story you ask me to change anything I've written I will gladly do so.

Strongly agree!
Could you say a little more about this @ShadowFire? Or can I? I was originally thinking the Kilth family might have been the only Drow in the city. That not being the case could also interesting. Maybe there is a temple of Lolth which Ulskah gets dragged to on important occasions, and whose services he stands (can't see pews in a temple of the Spider Queen) through with an ironic expression on his face. Or are there just a few scattered Drow in the city, not enough to make a congregation? My backstory sort of assumes that he hasn't felt much power coming from Lolth, and the fact he uses Lolth motifs in his songs to dramatic effect sort of assume there's not actually a 20th level cleric of Lolth waiting round the corner to necrotically incinerate him for heresy...