[DnD 4E] A Point of Light - Act IV: The New World

susansusan Registered User regular
edited July 2011 in Critical Failures
"A Point of Light"

The Dread Necromancer Ladroc turned himself into a Lich by his 25th Birthday. By his 30th he was marching an army of undead across the land, slaughtering cities and counties and using the thousands of corpses to swell his ranks of thralls.

All the nations of the world fought him. They sent their armies, they sent their heroes, they sent their Generals, they sent their Royalty. Humans and Demihumans, the Fey Races and the Savage Races, Dragons and Goblinoids, every sane person across the globe stood shoulder to shoulder to fight and contain this menace. And fight they did. Bravely. Valiantly. Intelligently. Tirelessly. An army a million strong, larger than any the world had ever seen before, charged as one to meet the Necromancer's horde knowing that they were the last line of defense against it.

They lost.

That was some centuries ago. Perhaps some exceptionally old Fey can still remember a time when Ladroc was not the unquestioned tyrant of the world, free to do what he wishes to whomever he wishes to do it, but you doubt anyone could survive the hundreds of years of Hell while still staying sane. For you, the world is what it always has been: A big dark place full of Zombies and Vampires and Monsters who can and will rip you apart for breakfast if they have the slightest inkling to. Trade and travel are rare at best, non-existent in most towns. Humans and other mortals live together in either small hidden enclaves or in larger towns and cities, allowed to exist by the governing Vampire Courts so that they can exact a tribute of flesh and blood from these cities on a regular schedule.

While dissent is rampant, rebellion isn't even considered. None of the masters care if a human kills a zombie, or even a thousand zombies; mindless beasts and abominations run wild, and town militias work day and night to fend off rampant incursions of these creatures. But if a human attacks or, Gods forbid, wounds a Vampire or one of the ruling class, a whole town might die a slow and bloody death. If a man refuses a request of one of his rulers, he and his family are to be summarily executed and their property seized. If a city refuses to pay their blood tribute, at best the Vampires will kill ten times the demanded number before taking their living tribute anyway. At worst, the town is demolished and the survivors sent to Ladroc for 'Experimentation'. No living person knows what this involves, but your nightmares still try and give you some ideas on occasion.

But even in this madness there is a small piece of hope, a single point of light in the dark. That light is you. Your background has shaped you, and your past has forged you, and on this day you are refusing to allow yourself to slip into the night without putting up a fight first. Today, you will find companions and allies who will help you fight this menace. Today, you will hear the start of the plan that will take you from a remote and terrified village all the way to the towering walls of the City of Death. And if the Gods smile upon you, one day soon, you may be able to watch the sun rise over a world where skeletons stay buried in the ground and politicians just steal your money and not your organs and your children. The power is yours to change the world...


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Game Type: DnD 4th Edition, Generic Points of Light World controlled by an evil Lich Overlord and his mostly Undead underlings.
Submissions: One per person, to keep the number of submissions sane. I don't need more than a paragraph or so of background and personality, but hey, if you want to write more, go crazy. ...Sane crazy, not actual crazy. Hamlet, not the Joker. Pictures are always nice for characters, too.
Usable classes/races/items: I have DDI, so I'm good on most everything. I'm not too big on Hybrids, though (they seem so unfocused...), and probably won't allow any Homebrew.
Starting level: 2 (Utilities and all that). 22 point buy system, 1 free Expertise feat (Weapon, Implement, Versatile, etc). Use General Backgrounds.
Starting equipment/Gold: A level 1, 2 and 3 Magic Item, 360 gold to buy extra stuff with.
Grammar: Strongly preferred.
Dice Rolling/Sheets: I am a fan of Orokos and Invisible Castle for rollers, Orokos and Myth Weavers for sheets. If you know of other good ones, I always love to learn new things.
Story and Setting: A Work in Progress; I'm as interested to find out where you guys are going as you are. You'll be starting in a remote village mostly cut off from the rest of the world, though enough people come and go (including perhaps your characters) that you know what's up and where other nearby settlements are. My idea is for you to be the good guys in this campaign; you don't have to be Knights in Shining Armor, but if a little girl is being menaced by a skeleton, I'd expect you'd want to help the girl and not the skeleton. Play style will be lots of combat, some good bits of RPing, and a largely self-directed roadtrip through Hell.
Players: I always try to be newbie friendly, though I likes me some experienced folk too. I should warn ya though, my monsters will fight smart (the smart ones, anyway), so you should be prepared to do the same if you want to keep your organs nicely internal.
Posting Schedule: I ain't gonna lie, there's probably gonna be times where I can't post for a couple days, and I know that real life happens to people too. I'll try to keep up at least 1 post per day when I'm able, though, and hope that I can keep my players enthusiastic enough throughout so they do the same. If you're gonna hit a rough spot (finals, big project, etc) and want someone to take over your guy for a few days, cool. And if you're in the game and need to drop for whatever reason, please do post a quick message either on the board or to my Inbox; it happens, it's alright, it was fun to game with you, just please let us know so we can move on and decide whether to bring someone else in. I'm also going to be trying something potentially new and different and exciting with the map in an attempt to keep combats flowing more quickly (more on that below).
Submission Cutoff and Game Starting Date: I won't close before Monday the 17th and will try to keep it open until the absolute cutoff of Wednesday the 19th 10pm Pacific Standard Time unless the submissions just get out of hand. The game will start within a week after that; I'd try to give the party some time to post how they know eachother and take care of that type interaction before I throw you into a meat grinder.

EXPERIMENTAL MAP DISCUSSION: I'm going to be trying to have a shared map for this campaign, so players can move their characters if they so choose and so that if I get busy or held up a kindly player can go in and remove dead bad guys and knock them around as they so choose. I've found with past DMing experience that the Map is often the biggest headache as far as fights go (this has probably killed a couple games I've tried to run); my hope with this is that through group effort and willingness to cooperate the combats will proceed at a steady fast pace and won't get bogged down by players waiting for an update. My current thought is to use a shared Google Drawing Document. Any player with a Google account could easily log in and adjust the map on the fly, and the image that's on the site would automatically and instantly update. Theoretically, anyway. There are several downsides to this, of course. The map is ugly as sin (see below). And as the map image will constantly be refreshed here, there will be no old maps to reference if things go askew somewhere in combat (I'm REALLY hoping this won't become a problem). But all in all I am of the opinion that this test is worth the attempt and will proceed with it. Anyway, here's a copy of the map template I worked up:
pub?id=1grLt7YCvAP63OaE2yOxnDjlnx9MeU2NjTKpbiATcGVU&w=1097&h=1109

As I said, pretty ugly, but hopefully utilitarian. And if anyone here (in the campaign or otherwise) wants a copy of this or to get it shared to their account so they can make it prettier, PM me and I'll let you have at it.

Well now, it's 2am and I'm sure I've forgotten things and haven't been as coherent as one would hope, but perhaps I've sparked your interest. C'mon, let's get our game on.


And the brave adventuring party is:

Aurora, the Longtooth Shifter Warden - El Skid
Unammora, Deva Invoker of Pelor - daniant
Kardak, Kobold Avenger of Ioun - dresdenphile
Sarak, Half Orc Stone Fist Monk - Kelor
Messat Falstoy, Human Warlord - Farangu
Asteron, Minotaur Cleric - Joeslop

2010 PAX DM Challenge Grand Champion
2011 PAX Warmachine/Hordes Champion
susan on
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Posts

  • PepiPopaPepiPopa Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Grammar.. my only weakness. I will think something up though I'm really interested.

    PepiPopa on
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  • TiamatZTiamatZ Ghost puns The Banette of my existenceRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Interested.

    Going to try and submit my Drow Star Pact Warlock from a previous Recruitment for this. Need to rework his background though...

    TiamatZ on
  • KayKay What we need... Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Very interested! I'm assuming a standard PbP setup, with no Ventrillo/IRC requirements?

    Kay on
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  • ronrabronrab Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Expression of Interest!

    ronrab on
  • PhyphorPhyphor Building Planet Busters Tasting FruitRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Very interesting, how long are you keeping submissions open?

    Phyphor on
  • MundaneSoulMundaneSoul fight fighter Daehan MingukRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Will be submitting on this for certain. Probably try to work something up tonight when I get home.

    MundaneSoul on
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  • licwidcakelicwidcake Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    This sounds awesome! I will be sure to make a character this evening.

    licwidcake on
  • susansusan Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Kay wrote: »
    Very interested! I'm assuming a standard PbP setup, with no Ventrillo/IRC requirements?

    Yep, the only funky thing I'm trying to do is the Map thing, and that's just for players who want to do it (it is by no means mandatory, I just thought some people would want to).
    Phyphor wrote: »
    Very interesting, how long are you keeping submissions open?

    Next Monday to Wednesday; the exact cutoff depends on how many submissions I get (if you see a hundred submissions by Sunday... it's probably not staying open until Wednesday).

    susan on
    2010 PAX DM Challenge Grand Champion
    2011 PAX Warmachine/Hordes Champion
  • FiarynFiaryn Omnicidal Madman Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    I'm taken with the idea of some kind of Goliath Runepriest. I will definitely be making a submission for this.

    Fiaryn on
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  • PhyphorPhyphor Building Planet Busters Tasting FruitRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Ah, good, I should have some time this weekend to do one.

    Phyphor on
  • licwidcakelicwidcake Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Hey cool do I get extra consideration for being the first character?

    Introducing:

    Michael Karlson, self trained human monk
    http://4e.orokos.com/sheets/1899
    “Any citizen seen armed with any variety of weapon will result in immediate and lethal punishment for that person and their extended family.”

    This was the law that Michael Karlson had lived with his entire life. Living in what was left of a city that had the audacity to openly riot and rebel against Ladroc several decades ago, that was the way of things. Farmers carrying in tools from the fields would be set upon by the vampire noble’s army of followers and torn to shreds. Since they usually killed without asking any questions, what this normally brought about was the wholesale slaughter of a large portion of the population. Because of the law, there was nothing anyone could do to fight back. “Wrong place, wrong time,” was a phrase that was often tossed around.

    When Michael’s wife and young son were caught up as collateral in one such an event, he finally had enough. He began to train. He pushed his body, mind, and spirit to the absolute limit of human tolerance. His fists and feet struck with the force of cannon, his movements were like that of the wind, and his will became like iron. In doing so, he turned himself into a weapon that they could neither detect nor take away. He was determined that if the phrase “wrong place, wrong time,” was ever going to involve him again, they would be talking about the vampire’s stooges.

    Mannerism and Appearance:
    Michael strives to blend in with the other citizens of his city. He has the same lean, half starved look as the rest of the townsfolk but while the others are emaciated, Michael simply looks skinny. He hides his power and grace, mimicking the walk, dress, and posture of all the other oppressed peasants. His personality is also mostly hidden. Since he lost his family, he has had enough of the injustice and oppression he has seen since his birth. He knows that there are whispers of resistance on the wind, and longs to join them. Until then he will wait and train until he sees his moment.
    Appearance wise Michael looks like an average villager in his late twenties. One thing that people who meet him remember is his eyes. Since his family was murdered his eyes have gone from the dull defeated eyes common to the others, to ones that burn with a barely contained anger.



    Image:
    iwamori_of_the_open_fist.jpg

    For the image I would just like to use the monk himself not the card of course.

    I can change/add anything you would like. I've just started a PbP but I have a sneaking suspicion I will not last very long in it. I am pretty familiar with DnD rules.

    edited for more information

    licwidcake on
  • SuperRuperSuperRuper Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Oh yes. I'm rolling a character for this...tonight

    SuperRuper on
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  • FaranguFarangu I am a beardy man With a beardy planRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Interested.

    Still desperately waiting for the chance to actually play in a game instead of running one. :D

    Will roll up a character sometime soon.

    Of course, this is the time my PC with the Character Builder decides to die on me. Looks like I'm rolling it old school, unless they come out with a mac release in the next few days.

    Farangu on
  • PepiPopaPepiPopa Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Presenting * drum roll *

    Luca the half-elf Ardent

    Backstory:
    Bringed up by a reasonably wealthy merchant Luca was given all the freedom , left to do what he wishes with his young life.Money creates friends and confidence.Roaming the streets getting into fights Luca discovered that the "friends" he bought are no good when its blood spilling time.

    Lucas' dual heritage gives him the brashness and explosive behavior of the humans with the wisdom of the elves. His father being the one bringing him up and being human gave Luca all the information about his maternal figure and her race.Although his father giving him everything he could in education and money Luca always wanted adventure and trouble.As soon as he turned 20 he left his village " borrowing" some of his mothers old equipment and a lot of his fathers gold.
    " Gold is made for spending".....

    "Gold is made for spending" as he threw a pouch on the bar " Drink all around! Got myself some money a few days back". The barmans eyes lit up as he saw actual gold in this pouch. He threw the best drink on the bar in a real crystal glass pouring the drink carefully infront of Luca trying to impress.

    Raising the cup, time seemed to slow down around Luca as he recalled the 4 years that have passed.4 years... Time continued forward and he downed the expensive drink.
    " Delicious, keep them coming and get me something to eat, yeah?"
    What a shit hole this town was... But it would do for a night or two, before he continues seeking a new job...



    Picture
    lucaf.jpg]

    The closest thing to what i was imagining picture wise. Newish to PbP but eager to learn.

    PepiPopa on
    Our testament and story is forever death or glory.
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  • El SkidEl Skid The frozen white northRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Submitting a Defender: Aurora, the Longtooth Shifter Warden.

    Picture:
    RacesShifterFemale.jpg

    Backstory:
    Aurora is a creature of Nature. She has lived her life in the forests where she was born, the vast forest of Greenhome. With a keen eye and a strong arm she has spent her adult life guarding her forests- slaughtering any undead she could face, and quickly learning to run from those she could not.

    But late one night, her life was altogether reshaped. In a dream, the spirit of the forest itself intruded upon her rest. In her minds eye, she could see the man, bearing the characteristics of a mighty oak towering above her, and speaking with a voice that sounded like a herd of deer crashing by:

    "YOU MUST GIVE UP YOUR SELF-CENTERED QUEST TO PROTECT THIS SMALL PIECE OF GREENERY- WHAT YOU DO HERE IS NOBLE IN SPIRIT, BUT ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING. GO OUT INTO THE WORLD OF MEN AND SEEK OTHERS WHO WOULD JOIN WITH YOU IN YOUR QUEST TO REMOVE THE UNDEAD MENACE AND RESTORE BALANCE TO ALL... THE FUTURE IS UNCLEAR, BUT WITH OTHERS TO SUPPORT YOU, I SEE A SMALL CHANCE TO CLEANSE THE SICKNESS FROM THE LAND, IF YOU WILL BUT TAKE IT."

    It had been months since she had even spoken to an outsider, and she hated the need to travel into the lands of men, who defiled the land by chopping down her forests and farming it... But the undead were a common enemy, and she would not- could not- let her prejudices get in her way if there was even a chance they could stop the undead scourge.

    Concept:
    Defender who does a little bit of everything. Hits relatively hard, has good mobility and has decent defenses along with lots of ways of slowing, pinning and drawing in enemies. Also as a warden she is relatively hard to control in turn (yay extra saving throw before her turn starts)

    El Skid on
  • FaranguFarangu I am a beardy man With a beardy planRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Submitting a leader: Messat Falstoy, Human Warlord

    Background:
    Messat hates the undead menace. HATES THEM, you see. For the longest time, he has dreamed of leading the army, the glorious charge that will wipe the lich Ladrok's forces clean from his land. He has even assembled an expert team of warriors and sages to help him in this quest, and they all field the finest armor, weapons and implements they can afford. There's only one problem with Messat's plan.

    His fellow warriors aren't real.

    In the real, depressing world, Messat's mind couldn't bear the strain of being treated like cattle by the vampire and undead overlords. Soon, he began to create a fantasy for himself, where he was the general masterminding the resistance force. In reality, he was the scary guy in the village talking to himself that no-one wanted to associate with. But then, the real resistance fighters noticed something.

    His swings with his blade were true. Some of his cobbled together equipment actually had traces of magic about them. And his imaginary companions actually influenced others to victory in skirmishes. With affairs being the way they are, Messat's time to shine as a resistance leader may be coming sooner than anyone expects.

    As long as he bathes first.

    Picture:
    messat.png

    Kind of goes with his cobbled-together mentality :D

    Concept:
    Leader who can hit fairly hard, and heal when needed, also could do a bit of tanking at this low level, but excels at battlefield mobility. His "phantom army" can help the rest of the party get where they need to be, and hit harder when they get there, especially if they spend an action point.

    Also Susan will it help my chances if I told you that you are a radiant being from a dimension of pure light and that having to cut Vista from The Fantastical Contraption was the hardest decision I've had to make in a while?

    Because that is all truth.

    Farangu on
  • LockeJawLockeJaw Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    A frail young woman walks across the stage and squints through the flood lights and out into the audience. "Ummm, hi. For my audition, I'm going to read from Kiana Veroth, Human Wizard."

    Picture:
    ddwizmarinapark.jpg

    Backstory:
    In any environment, mankind always seems to find some way of surviving. Building protection from the elements or using implements to help defend against predators for example. Trying to stay alive in a world ruled by the undead, the last 6 generations of the Veroth family had survived and even thrived by throwing in with their vampire overlords.

    Compliant and willing efforts to control and pacify the populace were rewarded, and the Veroth family was given power and freedoms above most others. Her father Keshar was permitted to learn the arcane skills and given the training of a wizard to help control the rest of the townspeople. He passed on some of his knowledge to his only child, Kiana.

    For Kiana, however, the path of ease in this world of strife was not to be. When the latest tribute of blood came up short, the vampire Tekesh demanded that Keshar make up the difference with the lives of his wife and daughter. Knowing that refusal would mean his own death, but not willing to sacrifice the last bit of his own Humanity, Kiana's father had her smuggled out of town and then confronted the vampire. The conflict ended and in the ashes of Tekesh's mansion, no signs of life or unlife were found. In retribution, the Vampire Courts had the entire town where Kiana grew up razed to the ground.

    Kiana learned 2 things from her father: First, that even years of service to the undead ultimately matter not at all. In the eyes of the Vampire Courts and the Lich Ladroc, people are all disposable and only if the undead are defeated can the breathing ever hope to truly live. And second, that they CAN be defeated.

    Kiana rarely smiles and occasionally whispers to the small skull imbedded in her crystal orb which she always seems to be playing with.

    LockeJaw on
    "Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it."- Robert A. Heinlein
  • susansusan Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Might as well start this now:

    Michael Karlson, self trained human monk - licwidcake
    Luca the half-elf Ardent - PepiPopa
    Aurora, the Longtooth Shifter Warden - El Skid
    Messat Falstoy, Human Warlord - Farangu
    Kiana Veroth, Human Wizard - LockeJaw

    Good submissions so far, keep 'em coming 8-) .

    By the way: I should mention that I'm technologically challenged (I can literally break any piece of tech just by being within 5 feet of it), and don't know the best way to make those Character Tokens that look so official. If y'all could point me in the right direction it'd be much appreciated :mrgreen: .

    susan on
    2010 PAX DM Challenge Grand Champion
    2011 PAX Warmachine/Hordes Champion
  • KinahtoKinahto Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Well, this is such an awesome concept I had to throw together a character. Hope you like it!

    Legault, Human Rogue (with Vampiric Heritage feats)

    Background:
    Legault is the bastard son of a relatively influential vampire lord and a human woman he briefly took interest in beyond simple sustenance. His human heritage was kept secret for most of his life, and he was constantly groomed to be as ruthless and powerful a leader as his father was.

    But he hated it. Legault hated the way his father and the other vampiric leaders looked down on their mortal subjects with contempt, he hated the way they constantly plotted in the shadows against each other, but, most of all, he hated the insatiable bloodlust that his father has cursed him with.

    By chance, Legault discovered the true identity of his mother, and that was the final straw. He forsook his vampiric heritage, and abandoned his home to throw his lot in with his human kin. One day, he seeks to return, and kill his father himself.

    Despite the darkness surrounding his life, Legault seems cheerful and carefree, joking and laughing with the best of them. This is a mostly a mask that occasionally breaks, usually when those he'd consider his allies are endangered, revealing a cold killer underneath. He has trouble really getting close to people, out of fear that his bloodlust would overwhelm him one day. Naturally, Legault does his best to keep his vampiric heritage secret

    Picture:
    christopher_lee2.jpg
    The best I could think of. Legault probably looks a little younger than this, but you get the idea.

    Kinahto on
  • susansusan Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    ...Huh. Of the 6 characters submitted so far, 4 are Human. I ain't complainin', but you never see that. Perhaps there's something about an Undead world that just screams 'Human Survivors'. *shrug* Just kinda interesting.

    susan on
    2010 PAX DM Challenge Grand Champion
    2011 PAX Warmachine/Hordes Champion
  • KinahtoKinahto Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Well, I don't usually pick human, but I think just about every other race is... kinda silly as a vampire.

    Seriously, try to imagine a Dwarf vampire without giggling a bit.

    Kinahto on
  • susansusan Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Warforged Vampire...

    susan on
    2010 PAX DM Challenge Grand Champion
    2011 PAX Warmachine/Hordes Champion
  • TiamatZTiamatZ Ghost puns The Banette of my existenceRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    A Shardbrain Fightbrain vampire...

    TiamatZ on
  • squishy-blobsquishy-blob Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Interesting, I'll submit a character later.

    First i'd like to know how much civilisation is left in the world. You make it clear the normal surface world is in chaos but what about the feywild and the underdark? Has Ladroc crushed the civilisations of the eladrin and the drow?

    squishy-blob on
  • susansusan Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    The Material World is his plaything; there are likely still a couple decent Drow kingdoms in the Underdark (and some kingdoms in the oceans, in the extreme mountains, etc) that aren't under direct control of him (and more than a few that are), but if he knows about them, they exist because he doesn't feel threatened by them and his Vampire Generals haven't found the time to crack them open yet. They know if they attempt to posture at all, Ladroc can crush them even though they offer no strategic value whatsoever and would be a drain on his resources. I would also say he has some footholds in the Feywild, but only to act as scouting bases; his focus is the Material World. Most other planes he'll just ignore.

    susan on
    2010 PAX DM Challenge Grand Champion
    2011 PAX Warmachine/Hordes Champion
  • FaranguFarangu I am a beardy man With a beardy planRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Susan -

    I just use the TokenTool from RPTools. Pretty easy to use, you can either drag an image onto it or there's a screen capture function.

    Just click TokenTool.

    Farangu on
  • El SkidEl Skid The frozen white northRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    I like this idea that the Lich has conquered as much of the lands as he wants, but that there could still be the possibility of getting aid from nations that have managed to remain autonomous later on, assuming we manage to get far enough along in the campaign.

    El Skid on
  • BhowBhow Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away. On my way to where the air is sweet.Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Roebin deConklin

    90ttz9.jpg

    Fluff:
    Roebin is ugly: a twisted, flattened nose; a smashed cheek; a short (though intricately plaited) beard, mapped by scars. Since most people would rather not look at him, he easily moves unnoticed. With his short stature and unappealing appearance, it’s easy for larger folk to look past him. In fact, if you questioned most people he’s dealt with, their description wouldn’t include much more than “dwarven” or “ugly”, concluding with “Dunno, didn’t really get a good look at ‘im, you know?”

    Roebin takes no insult in this regard, as he knows he ain’t pretty, and it makes his job much easier. His real job, that is. Fighting in the arena is all that most people see. But his important tasks, the ones he prefers others not to notice, involve moving messages and parcels, in an unofficial capacity, of course. Arena fighting provides for his belly, and explains why he moves somewhat freely from town to town. But smuggling information puts iron in his spine, and gives a reason for his days.

    When he started fighting, well, he can’t remember. As long as he can remember, bread, sometimes breath itself, came at the cost of blood—his or another’s. As a youth, Mstr. Conklin pulled him from the ragged end of a street brawl by the back of his jerkin. “Tell me you can fight like that any day of the week, and I’ll make sure you eat every day of the week,” the stranger offered. And so Roebin joined Conklin’s Conquerors, a touring group of bruisers and brawlers that staged exhibitions, acted as state executioners and picked up occasional gigs as bodyguards or bouncers. In the arena Roebin had handled most every weapon at one time or another, sometimes fighting bare handed, but Mster. Conklin had also taught him the importance of showmanship and playing up stereotypes. Since dwarves had become curiosities, the crowd appreciated his favored weapons: a waraxe in one hand, a brutal craghammer in the other—Lightning and Thunder. Used together, he devastated opponents, and the crowd was entertained.

    Roebin had prospered under Mster. Conklin’s tutelage, indeed had been with him far longer than any other fighter. And several years ago, Mstr. Conklin revealed the other side of his business to Roebin: smuggling. Not moonshine or trade goods, but information. Mstr. Conklin was part of an underworld of living beings that sought, ultimately, to free the world from the living dead. Roebin thought they were fatally optimistic, and often argued this point with Mstr. Conklin, but was glad for any chance to strike back at the bloodless oppressors. He also enjoyed the work, using his athletic strength and unexpected agility to deliver or recover messages and small packages (though he only rarely knows their contents).

    Nearly as broad as he is tall, Roebin is able move more deftly than most would expect. His low height enables him to disappear easily into crowds. The relative scarcity of dwarves in many towns also means that most people can’t tell one from another, and his anonymously dusty cloak keeps his trademark weapons out of sight. The few occasions when his activities have been questioned, Mstr. Conklin had been ready with a binding alibi. As Mstr. Conklin delivers his instructions today, however, he seems strangely grim, almost absent-mindedly reticent…


    CB stats for the dwarf melee ranger who's ready to mess up some undead
    ====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
    Roebin deConklin, level 2
    Dwarf, Ranger
    Build: Two-Blade Ranger
    Fighting Style: Two-Blade Fighting Style

    FINAL ABILITY SCORES
    Str 16, Con 14, Dex 14, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 8.

    STARTING ABILITY SCORES
    Str 16, Con 12, Dex 14, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 8.


    AC: 17 Fort: 15 Reflex: 14 Will: 14
    HP: 36 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 9

    TRAINED SKILLS
    Endurance +12, Acrobatics +7, Perception +9, Athletics +8, Stealth +7

    UNTRAINED SKILLS
    Arcana +1, Bluff, Diplomacy, Dungeoneering +6, Heal +4, History +1, Insight +4, Intimidate, Nature +4, Religion +1, Streetwise, Thievery +2

    FEATS
    Level 1: Dwarven Weapon Training
    Level 2: Lethal Hunter

    POWERS
    Ranger at-will 1: Twin Strike
    Ranger at-will 1: Nimble Strike (retrained to Hit and Run at Level 2)
    Ranger encounter 1: Evasive Strike
    Ranger daily 1: Hunt's End
    Ranger utility 2: Yield Ground

    ITEMS
    Adventurer's Kit, Climber's Kit, Wine, Bottle, Throwing hammer (2), Inescapable Waraxe +1, Magic Craghammer +1, Hide Armor of Resistance +1
    ====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======

    This is the first character I've created in CB, so don't hesitate to let me know of errors and oversights.

    Bhow on
  • licwidcakelicwidcake Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    I think the concept is cool because in most D&D campaigns you're trying to prevent this kind of stuff from happening and you manage to save the day at the last minute. The idea that you're the one that is fighting against the odds and trying to get things back to normal is very refreshing.

    licwidcake on
  • PepiPopaPepiPopa Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Yeah the last stand thing is hot.

    PepiPopa on
    Our testament and story is forever death or glory.
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  • CalousCalous Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    1 free Expertise feat (Weapon, Implement, Versatile, etc)

    Is there a way to add this with the DDI character creator? I am a little lost with how to add this.

    Calous on
    ...yawn
    DnD 4E Player Tent V0.2
  • PepiPopaPepiPopa Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Calous wrote: »
    1 free Expertise feat (Weapon, Implement, Versatile, etc)

    Is there a way to add this with the DDI character creator? I am a little lost with how to add this.

    There is a little yellow white triangle down where it says All choices made in the feat tab. You can add it from there.

    PepiPopa on
    Our testament and story is forever death or glory.
    repub_sig.jpg
  • El SkidEl Skid The frozen white northRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Calous wrote: »
    1 free Expertise feat (Weapon, Implement, Versatile, etc)

    Is there a way to add this with the DDI character creator? I am a little lost with how to add this.

    Yes. There's a little icon on the top right of the list of feats you've selected- click it and it adds a houseruled feat.

    I missed this too for the first little bit...it's not really all that obvious.

    edit: Beat'd.

    El Skid on
  • CalousCalous Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Thank you both!

    Calous on
    ...yawn
    DnD 4E Player Tent V0.2
  • susansusan Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Michael Karlson, self trained human monk - licwidcake
    Luca the half-elf Ardent - PepiPopa
    Aurora, the Longtooth Shifter Warden - El Skid
    Messat Falstoy, Human Warlord - Farangu
    Kiana Veroth, Human Wizard - LockeJaw
    Legault, Human Rogue (with Vampiric Heritage feats) - Kinahto
    Roebin deConklin, Dwarf melee ranger - Bhow

    Thanks for the TokenTool link, I shall play around with it and add tokens to the map shortly.

    susan on
    2010 PAX DM Challenge Grand Champion
    2011 PAX Warmachine/Hordes Champion
  • BrodyBrody The Watch The First ShoreRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    How do you feel about dragonmarks?

    Brody on
    "I will write your name in the ruin of them. I will paint you across history in the color of their blood."

    The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson

    Steam: Korvalain
  • susansusan Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Brody wrote: »
    How do you feel about dragonmarks?

    You'd need to come up with new fluff and an explanation, but otherwise they're fine.

    susan on
    2010 PAX DM Challenge Grand Champion
    2011 PAX Warmachine/Hordes Champion
  • TiamatZTiamatZ Ghost puns The Banette of my existenceRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Presenting... A'kasj, the Dragonborn Star Pact Warlock of Ulban

    Picture:
    d9ec30f5c95010187e56dcfb0f0b2632.jpg

    History:
    Streaking across the night sky in a radiant flash, the comet Ulban has appeared throughout the centuries at times of great distress or need. It has appeared in front of kings and beggar alike (of his choice, naturally), molding these people into driving forces that were thrust upon the world; literally molding and changing the destiny of the Mortal coil as it saw fit. A few centuries ago, it even appeared on the eve before Ladroc's titanic battle against the free peoples of the world, divulging the cunning strategies and tactics the free races had developed and planned out to overcome the Necromancer the coming day. With this knowledge in hand, Ladroc was able to fully annahilate and defeat the free races, routing their armies and empires, and effectively set him up as a life-time emperor of the known world. Content and satisfied that it's plans succeeded, Ulban dissapeared from the skies, leaving the Mortal world, never showing itself to Ladroc (or to the other races) for the time being.

    Now, centuries later, however, it has returned mysteriously once more, and has chosen a new prodigy to work its machinations through.

    A'kasj was a acolyte (a student to the local tribal Shaman) to his Dragonborn clan, situated in one of the many deserts littering this dystopian world. Since the Dragonborn Empire's loss at the hands of Ladroc all those centuries ago, the remaining Dragonborn were chased tirelessly by the Necromancer's army of undead, and exiled to the deserts of the world. Lordac, content with his absolute victory over the living, allowed to let the Dragonborn of the old Empire live out (and die) their lives in the unforgiving deserts, on one condition: that the Empire of Dragons never be rebuilt under the reunited clans. For that purpose, the Necromancer scattered the many Dragonborn clans throughout the world.

    A'kasj always thought there was more to life than to live in the tribe and becoming the next shaman of his clan. By day he would hopelessly look to the horizon, hoping to catch a glimpse of some foreigner, or a city or town he's never seen before. By night, he would gaze at the stars: the only thing that was always there in the sky, but changed ever so slightly, always looking different each night. It was on one night that A'kasj was staring once more at the stars above him. He had always wondered what power a mortal had needed to touch... nay, HOLD the stars in the palm of their hands. It was also during this time that Ulban appeared in the sky, and, for seemingly no reason whatsoever, chose the young Dragonborn. The comet unleashed ancient arcane energies into the hapless acolyte. The Dragonborn stared wide-eyed in awe, seeing this strange energy come hurtling towards him. He stood paralyzed as the energy collided with him, and started to envelop him.

    Eldritch energy consumed the dragonborn. Such was the power that A'kasj could not help but fall unconscious during the whole ordeal.

    When he woke up, he noticed the strange power surrounding his hands. But what horrified him was that he saw a hole burned through his mentor's chest, with a few slivers of the same energy crisscrossing the corpse like those enveloping his hand. A'kasj was shocked at the sight! Did he kill his mentor through lack of control? Did he kill him in self defense? How did this even happen? These were questions best left and answered later, for A'kasj remembered the ancient laws of his ancestors, and the penalty for slaying another Dragonborn was death! The fear of reprisal (or worse, death) lingered in the young one's mind. A whisper recommending to run was all he heard, and was all he could do. On that same night, A'kasj's left his clan in self exile, and his very worldview around him changed.

    In the weeks that followed travelling in the desert, Ulban has made his voice known to the Dragonborn, detailing his 'violent' act on the shaman as a way of sealing the pact that he now must honour. The voice also told A'kasj that a number of events are playing out on the Mortal world once more, just like what happened all those years ago with Ladroc. As the Patron of the pact, Ulban would channel it's raw powers through the Dragonborn, granting him untold power. In return, the Dragonborn must do as he asks and foretells. A'kasj initially argued over the idea, considering that he never asked for such a pact in the first place. Ulban then offered a solution to the young one: If he would become more stronger and defeat Ulban in combat, then the pact would be broken, and A'kasj would be free to go as he please.

    Intrigued by this prospect, the Dragonborn agreed, and then set off towards the direction Ulban offered to him. A'kasj would have power to alter reality and fate itself, and he would have an adventure in the process.

    This should be interesting.

    Whether or not A'kasj would honour the pact or not, Ulban was content for the time being. After all, he now has a pawn to work his influence on the world once more. And he would see his enigmatic plan come to fruition, whether the Dragonborn was prepared for it or not.

    Mannerisms and appearance:
    Quite short and slender (by Dargonborn standards), most people would almost mistake the young Dragonborn to be some sort of lizard creature. A'kasj also seemed to be lacking some of the more common traits of Dragonborn. He's hardly noble, is an opportunist, and would rather find sneakier solutions to problems or threats (for example, he would rather sneak behind someone and stab them in the back than offer to challenge them head-on). BUt he also shares some notable traits to his kin. He has a fascination to all things ancient and forgotten and history always intrigues him. He also tends to be reserved in a group, opting only to speak his mind when allowed to.

    Perhaps due to his guilty conscious over the death of his mentor, his former tribe's shaman, A'kasj sometimes defend those who cannot protect themselves form the undead, such as children and the elderly. He has been known to secretly hunt undead zombies that plague farmers, or slaying a ghoul or two that threaten small children.

    Personal Quest:
    A'kasj has heard rumours of an ancient sect of Warlocks, said to have predated even before Ladroc was even born. Though whether or not the sect still survived this day mattered little to the warlock; only the ancient relics the sect made intrigued him to no end! During an excavation in one of the forgotten tombs in the wilds, he found a rare blade bearing the sect's inscriptions. With Ulban's permission (but under his ever watchful eye), A'kasj has been on a quest to find and reunite these ancient relics, hoping to attain that which he has always wanted: ultimate power!

    The item set in question is the Raiment of Shadows set from Adventurer's Vault 2(AV2).

    TiamatZ on
  • LockeJawLockeJaw Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Susan, if I were an evil Lich with designs on world domination, one of the things I'd do would be to stamp out any shred of Divine teaching. Those pesky gods give their followers abilities like Abjure Undead...

    Nobody's yet tried to create a character with a Divine power source. What is the status of religion in the world?

    LockeJaw on
    "Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it."- Robert A. Heinlein
  • KayKay What we need... Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Another question!

    Instead of a level 1, 2 and 3 magic item, could I instead take three level 2 items? Same cost, but I can't find any level 3 magical items that really work for the character.

    Also, the concept I'm working on is for a Divine origin guy!

    Kay on
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    3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
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