Questions

Feel free to ask any character generation questions here!

From your campaign information, this seems like a political intrigue campaign. Should we make our characters to this assumption so that we don't end up making a character out of place and useless to the task (like a lizardfolk barbarian trying to infiltrate a noble party)?

While I try to make it that everyone has a lot of freedom with character creation, you are on point with that it is political intrigue. So when xrefting your character, keep that in mind - it’s also more roleplay heavy so you don’t have to worry about min/maxing or damage optimization as much. And I’ve seen a barbarian talk a dragon and stone giants out of attacking the party... I’m always open for creativeness!

-Is human variant alright?
-Is Xanathar's content alright?
-Are evil characters banned (as I feel like an evil character would have almost as much motive to hate the Forlorn's Guard as a good one)?

Evil characters are not banned, but if you do, please keep in mind why they may go along with a party that could have some who are good aligned. Party cohesion is important for enjoyment, too. But "good" and "evil" are also subjective in this world besides what we would consider morally obvious. It's all based on perspective, really.

So thid will be abit game of thrones esque? XD With like the politics and stuff.

I've not read/watched, so I can't answer that confidently. But yes, lots of politics going on.

Ok thanks. Any race is allowed right?

The bottom of the character building info has a list of allowed races. I'm not sure what a half-troll is, though. I can't find that anywhere.

I am looking at classes and I am trying to figure out what a party would look like for this game. I see that we have a bard and I was previously thinking warlock, but that is going a little charisma happy for the party.

Ah! That is a homebrew race in which I had played out with a party before. You can find it here:
Half-Troll Homebrew Race

That's fair. I will say while social skills are important in this game, I will be giving love to intelligence checks and wisdom checks too. Do what you'd like, if you really want a warlock, sure!

And Vorn, Brokenfocus is correct - character generation information is in another forum. If you wanted to use some type of race that isn't on the list, they'd be an immigrant and need a really good reason for going underground where gold is scant and times are harsh.

Okie thanks! I've been looking through the list and I think I shall make a Yuan-Ti pureblood, gender to be determined, though most likely female. She will probably be a ranger or a wizard/sorceror

Come to think of it, sorceror seems better cause of the charisma.

I don't know. We're already pretty charisma heavy and i think a wizard's versatility could come in really useful.

I'm now thinking a inquisitive rogue. Somebody good at discerning lies could be very useful and that would fit the role.

That way they could play sorcerer, but a knowledge character would be nice.

A good bruiser could also be of use but its not really necessary.

I made my character public so you guys can look over it all you like.

Hmmm... well my yuan-ti can be a rogue or a sorceror. I was thinking as a sorceror, she could be the shadow sorceror which allows some sneaky sneaky spells XD. If you guys wish for another class, I can change. I can make a male half orc barbarian/fighter or a half drow ranger.

It's totally up to you but i tend to go for increased party diversity so nobody gets overshadowed and everybody has their distinct ways to solve problems.

Its ok. Wgich classes r there at the moment?

I'm a bard, Nigoki has submitted a character that is thus far a mystery, Brokenfocus mentioned inquisitive rogue with some promise, and rest are undecided.

Yeah, I think I'm definitely going to go inquisitive rogue. I know halflings are available. Does that include ghostwise? The races allowed don't give a whole lot of options that have a wisdom bonus.

Ghostwise are actually the ones most found in Cragglerock, so for sure!

Nigoki made a half-drow Ranger.

Ok, i'll go eith a yuan-ti pureblood sorceress then. Or would a wizard be better with the illusion path... i find the illusion path really underwhelming though...

Wizards get to cast all kinds of spells, though, while sorcerers only get a few, most of which have to be taken up by offensive spells. There's no denying that wizards make better illusionists.

Not here to push your decisions either way, but you might find illusions or different wizard abilities and etc useful for the campaign! If you're doing a campaign which is much more combat focused, perhaps you'd never choose mending or light as a cantrip, but maybe it'd end up being something really helpful roleplay wise. Illusions, mage hand, can all be helpful too.

Ok, a yuan-ti mage then! Which faction is my character in? I'm not sure which one is like the most open tp yuan ti purebloods and stuff XD other than the poor faction.

Yuan-ti's would actually find homage a lot in Forlorn's Watch, but also as you said Mourning Row, and Mirthing Reef is the most diverse of factions.

By the way, how do you cast spells at a higher level? I see that you can, but nowhere really explains it.

It's in the rules for the spells you can do it with. For example, magic missile has a default of 3 missiles but you can add 1 for each slot-level above first that the slot that you use is. (4 missiles at 2nd, 5 missiles at 3rd, etc.)

Aahhhh I see, so basically only for certain spells and can be increased any number of times right? Must a spell slot of each level be consumed? Eg at lvl 3, 1 lvl 1,2 and 3 slot is used?

And my char is VERY intelligent apparently XD rolled a 17 and added 1 to it to make 18 intelligence XD

No, if you cast magic missile at level 3, it would only consume a level 3 slot. Generally, higher the levels, fewer spell slots you get depending on your class and character level. That's why it's a trade-off.

Ok so have a few questions.

What's 27 point buy? Is it skill points? What's the diff between starting and background equipment? And how does arcane focus and a component pouch work?
This is my 1st wizard so I'm not sure how they work XD

Point buy is when you use 27 points to buy ability score numbers for your six abilities. The key is as follows:
8=0 points
9=1 point
10=2 points
11=3 points
12=4 points
13=5 points
14=7 points
15=9 points
And you cannot get a *base* score above or below those values. Racial bonuses apply normally.

Background equipment is stuff given to you through your background, which will be the spy variant of criminal it looks like, and starting equipment is equipment given by your class at 1st level.

Arcane foci, like a staff or wand, allows you to cast spells without their costless material components (if it has a stated monetary cost, you still have to provide it) and a component pouch has all of those cost less components on it (it's assume that you stock it up at every opportunity) and you still have to provide the ones with a money cost.

Hi guys!
Sorry for not posting sooner!
My character is Nathriel, a Half-Elf (Drow) Ranger.
I was thinking in a "Robin Wood" kind of character. A chaotic good character that can face some moral issues in doing bad things (like blackmail, robbery, etc) for a good cause, like feeding the hungry, and giving money to the poor. Also, I like the idea of the Half-Elf that covers his dark skin with some kind of make up, to cover his Drow origins and pass for a more common Half-Elf.

I'm having some difficulty to place him in the world.
I guess it makes sense if he's an orphan that was raised in the streets in Mirthing Reef and oposes the abuses of the Forlon's Watch.
The anger he carries for people with authority caugth the attention of a misterious guy, who gave him a roof and trained him from his early teens unitl recently, when he disapeared.

Then Nathriel started his crusade understanding the local nobility and digging some dirty on them.

This misterious guy probably had a political reason to train Nathriel and set him loose in the world again.

I'm starting the background with very little information, so I can complete the blanks with information that makes sense with the rest of the party. (Things like the Drow heritage and the identity and motives of this misterious guy)
I'm very open to suggestions!

Drow Houses are usually very proud of things like purity of bloodline and strength of reputation. It's more than likely that Nathriel was abandoned on purpose to maintain these values.

Yeah, I know!
I left it open because I saw that your chatacter is a Drow, and so, if the GM wants to persue the Drow place in the Lore of this place, he could suggest some Drow Houses complications.

If you come from my house, we could vary easily be uncle and nephew. Something like one of my older sisters fell in love with a human traveler from the surface and they had a secret child and the Matron mother found out and killed the human and abandoned the baby. It certainly sounds like something an oppressive matron mother would do.

Sidenote, you would probably know of me anyway through my somewhat famous performances in the Magic Talisman in the market district of Mirthing Reef.

While Underdark interaction with Cragglerock will take a while, it does have its implications. I'll mention now that for some years (10-15) the way into the Underdark (the entrance in mourning row) has been blocked off due to danger - some driders have been spotted before and no one is trying to welcome them in. Feel free to make family connections!

Val left the underdark and became estranged from his family about 4 decades ago so that works fine.

Ah I see, thanks alot! Just wondering by costless, do you mean that it costs nothing on the equipment buying table? Or that it does not appear there so it is costless? XD i assume costless means that you can get it for free.

For some spells, components are stated (like for Minor Illusion, a peice of fleece) that do not have a cost with them. Others have a stated cost beside the material component ( like for Chromatic Orb, a 50gp diamond). The first is taken care of by the arcane focus or component pouch. The second has to be provided regardless.

Ooooh i see. So for non cost components, they'll just appear in the component pouch? Or kust you go and stock it up? Like go around finding it?

And how r skill points calculated btw?

1. It doesn't really matter how you explain it. The point is that you don't have to worry about those non cost components.

2. Skill points are calculated by picking a series of ability scores with values that add up to 27 (the ones i mentioned earlier) so you could end up with something like 8,8,8,15,15,15 or 13,14,12,15,10,8. There are online resources, "point buy calculators", that can help you with the generation of a set of ability scores to fit these criteria.

Oh I mwant the skill points you can use to put in for skill ranks XD I rolled all my attributes already, so I don't need to buy them.

But you have to buy them. That was specified in the character creation info when you applied for the game.

Edit: Also, skill points and skill ranks in dungeons and dragons 3.5e or Pathfinder are replaced, in 5e, with a single proficiency modifier that you add to things you're good at. This modifier increases as you level up. So, say, if you're proficient in the Perception skill you would roll a d20 + your wisdom modifier + your proficiency Bonus to get the final result.

You might want to read through The Player's Handbook before we begin to get clear on that sort of stuff.

Oh... I thought it was either rolling attributes or the 27 point buy. So I need to redo my attributes with the 27 point buy?

Unfortunately so, yes.

Endermun, how did you get expertise to work on your gamersplane character sheet. I can't find an option for it.

Unfortunately, there's no option for it. I simply customized the skill names to display the correct bonuses in parentheses next to the name of the skill.

@Vorn369 Do you have any other questions that would help you with your character?

@SplashOut18 You've been silent so far. What character concepts are you working with?

Ok, finished my character sheet. Just wondering how is encumbrance calculated?

Thanks Endermun for being so helpful!

Encumberance can be detailed here: https://5thsrd.org/rules/abilities/strength/

No problem, I just really want to get this game off the ground as soon as possible.

If Splashout doesn't make a character by Wednesday (10/17), I'll just remove them and we can continue on.

I liked this idea of Uncle/Nephew. And this could be something that you'd suspect about once you meet me in game, and I'd have no idea.

With the Underdark way closed, there shouldn't be much drows nearby (GM correct me, if I'm wrong). So I'd be interested in contacting Val because of my heritage, but not so trusting, considering I was raised around people who mistrust drows.

There are some drows but they're not much of the population, and they usually are in Mourning Row except those who raise to the top of status (like Queen Vashi).

(If the usual DnD tropes carry through) there probably wouldn't be that many resident drow anywat, mostly the ones rejected by or rejecting common drow society, such as us.

Important question. Would this contact happen before or after the Magic Talisman Massacre? Beforehand, Val probably would be quite dismissal, keeping him around for a conversation more so because he looked familiar than anything pertaining to race. He'd be only slightly interested in his martial and magical prowess. On the other hand, post-crisis Val would be looking for skilled allies and Nathriel would fit the description. If it's the former, Val would probably seek out Nathriel if he made a display of his abilities during their first meeting.

I guess after would be better. Maybe Val heard about Nathriel bullying some nobles and got interested in knowing more about his abilities.

I would totally be up for a start like that. Makes sense that I would take a job like finding a name through an alias. It is mostly low risk to my own person. If you don't want us to know the real name under the alias, I would see the job as completed if I found a location and were able to lead the person hiring to them.

My specialty is not charisma, so it would be unlikely that I could set up a meeting, but through stealth, insight, and investigation, I could likely find where I needed to go.

So, the story so far: Val, an actor and poet, experienced a massacre undertaken by the Forlorn's watch and is out for revenge. He hears of a local vigilante in Mirthing Reef with apparent magical and martial skill and hires a talented P.I. to find him. Val then expresses to the other two his intentions, to bring down or otherwise injure the Forlorn's Watch, and offers a portion of anything they find or loot along the way in exchange for their assistance. Any additions or changes?

This all sounds like a wonderful beginning, love that y'all have already set up a path that is indepth and will drive the story pretty far because it's political needs.

I love it. So Val and Vinsten will have been together for a little while before meeting Nathriel, which he has been hired for. Vishka is a potential contact from my recent past.

If Val wanted to be talking his way into places with me as an observer and lie detector, that's a way that we could be working together as a duo and not need the client/hire relationship. There would just need to be a reason for me trying to find Nathriel as well.

You're right, It would be better if we were more of a duo with similar goals. Perhaps the mysterious vigilante simply appeals to your natural inquisitiveness. Or a meager bounty set by a noble put you on his trail initially but I managed to convince you not to claim it, promising greater reward.

If we're beginning today let's say: Val, an actor and poet, experienced a massacre undertaken by the Forlorn's watch and is out for revenge. He hears of a local vigilante in Mirthing Reef with apparent magical and martial skill and teams up with a talented P.I., Vinsten, to find him. They find the vigilante, a half-drow named Nathriel. Val then expresses to the other two his intentions, to bring down or otherwise injure the Forlorn's Watch, and offers a portion of anything they find or loot along the way in exchange for their assistance. Vinsten called upon Vishka, an illusionist and double-agent with ties to the Forlorn's Watch, to assist the group in their goal. They gathered in a private location (tavern or something) to discuss their first course of action.

Disagreements? Questions? Concerns?

Hey all, I'm sorry for the slow start on my end - I've been away and hadn't had a chance to put a character together. I've submitted one now and am fleshing out a back story as we speak.

The idea of an artificer from the Mirthing Reef really appealed so I've got a gnome wizard with the school of transmutation as the closest approximation (unless you let me use the unearthed arcana artificer build?).

Kellen would have been a reasonably successful tradesman and artificer but increasingly concerned with the closure of the trade routes to the surface. He is an obsessive and would like to work to reestablish balance and peace so that he can continue with his research and constructions.

Glad to see you back! Sure, I'll let you use the UA artificier. It seems like it would be a cool character.

I'm good with Endermun's interpretation as a start to the story and excited to get this started.

Great! Thank you - I'll change my character sheet now

And seconded on Brokenfocus - happy with that as a start point

Being a prominent merchant in Mirthing Reef, you'd probably know (or at least know of) Val, Vinsten, and Nathriel and vice versa.

Edit for more speculation: You probably are the most outspoken about your problem with the Forlorn's Watch for the longest so we'd naturally consider including you in our espionage group.

I like the idea - I would have tried more conventional methods to change the situation and been publicly outspoken in my opposition to the current situation and Folorn's Watch clamping down on trade. However, after multiple failures and increasingly unpleasant rebuttals, would be become more and more convinced that extra-legal methods were required. It would be this decision that persuaded me to tentatively join a group with espionage and resistance on its mind.

How about this?: Val, an actor and poet, experienced a massacre undertaken by the Forlorn's watch and is out for revenge. He hears of a local vigilante in Mirthing Reef with apparent magical and martial skill and teams up with a talented P.I., Vinsten, to find him. They find the vigilante, a half-drow named Nathriel. Val then expresses to the other two his intentions, to bring down or otherwise injure the Forlorn's Watch, and offers a portion of anything they find or loot along the way in exchange for their assistance. Vinsten called upon Vishka, an illusionist and double-agent with ties to the Forlorn's Watch, to assist the group in their goal while Val and Nathriel saught the artificer Kellen, a local merchant and a known opposer to the Forlorn's Watch's recent dealings. They all gathered in a private location (tavern or something) to discuss their first course of action.

Disagreements? Questions? Concerns?

Sounds great!

I think we're clear to start then, e.saville99.

alrighty! i will get up the thread to post and off we shall go!

https://gamersplane.com/forums/thread/9822/

here it is!

Awesome. Let's get this show on the road!

Sorry for the late reply! I've been busy with national exams. Just wondering, how is AC calculated? I already calculated mine, it's easy wuth no armour, but I'm really confused how you calculate it with armour eg heavy armour

Base with no armour is 10+dex unless you are a monk when it's 10+dex+wisdom/barbarian where it's 10+dex+con

Armour calculations are below:

Padded -- 11 + Dex modifier light, stealth disadvantage
Leather -- 11 + Dex modifier light
Studded leather -- 12 + Dex modifier light
Hide -- 12 + Dex modifier (max 2) medium
Chain shirt -- 13 + Dex modifier (max 2) medium
Scale mail -- 14 + Dex modifier (max 2) medium, stealth disadvantage
Breastplate -- 14 + Dex modifier (max 2) medium
Half plate -- 15 + Dex modifier (max 2) medium, stealth disadvantage
Ring mail -- 14 heavy, stealth disadvantage
Chain mail -- 16 heavy, stealth disadvantage, Str 13
Splint -- 17 heavy, stealth disadvantage, Str 15
Plate -- 18 heavy, stealth disadvantage, Str 15
Shield -- +2 modifies Base AC

That is pretty easy in most cases. You choose an armor that you are proficient with. Generally you are given one when you start a class or can buy them in the future. The armor will give a formula for how to calculate AC. It will be in the format (armor value)+(Dex modifier with a cap). It tends to be that light armor has no cap, medium has a cap of +2, and heavy armor does not let you add a Dex modifier. If you have 2 effects that give you an AC formula, then choose the better.

I was beaten to the punch, but I figure I'll leave it in case a second phrasing helps.

So, I had apparently missed the proficiency points. To get this straight, starting at level 3, we have 18 of those points to spend?

Is this something I need to know about? I've never heard of 'proficiency points' used in 5e.

It is in the background document for the character creation.

I'm looking over it now and i'm very confused. Is this in addition to regular proficiency rules? Do the points count as part of proficiency when factoring expertise?

Oh jeez! I totally forgot to delete that LOL, that was part of a rule I tried in a different campaign and then didn't work out. Sorry about that guys.

No worries.