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4e/FR: The Adventures Of The Forward Guard OOC: Sword-Length Reign
Arivia
I Like A ChallengeEarth-1Registered User regular
I Like A ChallengeEarth-1Registered User regular
I'm looking at possibly running a newcomer's game to 4e D&D, the Forgotten Realms, or both.
A bit about myself to explain where I'm coming on on this: I've DMed before, mostly in 3e, a good amount of that in the Forgotten Realms. However, this will be my first time DMing 4e D&D.
We've decided upon play by post.
The reason I'm looking at this as a newcomer's experience is that I'm going to be keeping the rules usage very simple: players have access to the Player's Handbook and FR Player's Guide only, and I will be spending time helping out anyone who might want it, so forth and so on. Similarly, no knowledge of the Realms beyond the Player's Guide is required. If you've been looking to get into the Realms, but have been intimidated by the sheer amount of material involved, this would be a great place to start.
Of course, if anyone with more experience in either category wants to join, that's great too. I'm not going to use greater knowledge of the Realms as a tool to force people in line: I want to make this accessible, and not incomprehensible. Basically, the Campaign Guide is gospel, and we'll illustrate from there.
So, anyone interested?
Updated OP: The game will be set in Cormyr.
Character Creation details: All characters start at level 1, with the standard array for ability scores and 110 gold. You only have access to the PHB and the Forgotten Realms Players Guide as character creation sources. I will take the first six submissions that cover all four party roles - ie, I will skip out on a sixth submission that is the third striker for a seventh that would be the group's first leader.
A few tips: 1) Make sure there's some reason for your character to be in Cormyr and know the other party members. We'll be starting with that as an assumption, so you may want to work on backgrounds together.
2) Don't forget to pick a background from the Player's Guide! Backgrounds not only give game benefits, but they situate your character in the Realms and give you a sense of place. A Cormyrian human native is going to be different from an eladrin who's grown up in Myth Drannor under the wing of Coronal Miritar. Other backgrounds close to Cormyr are the Dalelands, the Dragon Coast, Myth Drannor, and Netheril, but you can come from farther afield if you'd like.
Chapter 1 of the Player's Guide details how specific races are represented in the Realms, including suggested backgrounds by race.
3) All players should read the section on Cormyr in chapter 2 of the Player's Guide, and all of Chapter 6 before starting. This is the shared knowledge base that we'll be building from: anything inside it can be assumed, anything outside of it, is explained.
4) In concert with that, if you'd like more details on anything that's not in the Player's Guide, talk to me. I know the Realms well enough to help you, without making you do research.
Please submit character sheets in spoilers or on MythWeavers (I'm Arivia on there, too.)
Finally, your young group of adventurers needs a name for your party. The Realms has a long history of strong, identifiable adventuring companies: some of the famous ones include the Company of Crazed Venturers, Dove's Hand, and the Knights of Myth Drannor.
A bit about myself to explain where I'm coming on on this: I've DMed before, mostly in 3e, a good amount of that in the Forgotten Realms. However, this will be my first time DMing 4e D&D.
We've decided upon play by post.
The reason I'm looking at this as a newcomer's experience is that I'm going to be keeping the rules usage very simple: players have access to the Player's Handbook and FR Player's Guide only, and I will be spending time helping out anyone who might want it, so forth and so on. Similarly, no knowledge of the Realms beyond the Player's Guide is required. If you've been looking to get into the Realms, but have been intimidated by the sheer amount of material involved, this would be a great place to start.
Of course, if anyone with more experience in either category wants to join, that's great too. I'm not going to use greater knowledge of the Realms as a tool to force people in line: I want to make this accessible, and not incomprehensible. Basically, the Campaign Guide is gospel, and we'll illustrate from there.
So, anyone interested?
Updated OP: The game will be set in Cormyr.
Character Creation details: All characters start at level 1, with the standard array for ability scores and 110 gold. You only have access to the PHB and the Forgotten Realms Players Guide as character creation sources. I will take the first six submissions that cover all four party roles - ie, I will skip out on a sixth submission that is the third striker for a seventh that would be the group's first leader.
A few tips: 1) Make sure there's some reason for your character to be in Cormyr and know the other party members. We'll be starting with that as an assumption, so you may want to work on backgrounds together.
2) Don't forget to pick a background from the Player's Guide! Backgrounds not only give game benefits, but they situate your character in the Realms and give you a sense of place. A Cormyrian human native is going to be different from an eladrin who's grown up in Myth Drannor under the wing of Coronal Miritar. Other backgrounds close to Cormyr are the Dalelands, the Dragon Coast, Myth Drannor, and Netheril, but you can come from farther afield if you'd like.
Chapter 1 of the Player's Guide details how specific races are represented in the Realms, including suggested backgrounds by race.
3) All players should read the section on Cormyr in chapter 2 of the Player's Guide, and all of Chapter 6 before starting. This is the shared knowledge base that we'll be building from: anything inside it can be assumed, anything outside of it, is explained.
4) In concert with that, if you'd like more details on anything that's not in the Player's Guide, talk to me. I know the Realms well enough to help you, without making you do research.
Please submit character sheets in spoilers or on MythWeavers (I'm Arivia on there, too.)
Finally, your young group of adventurers needs a name for your party. The Realms has a long history of strong, identifiable adventuring companies: some of the famous ones include the Company of Crazed Venturers, Dove's Hand, and the Knights of Myth Drannor.
Arivia on
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Posts
I've got a weird schedule, but if the game ends up being in one of the times I'm regularly available, I'd be all for it.
My availability is (In EST) 12p-4a Tues/Wed, and then 11p-4a Mon/Fri/Sat/Sun, though this might be changing rather soon as I might start working overnight.
Unfortunately, Rainfall, it looks like I'll be busy on Sunday nights with the VtR game that's starting up.
I would also be down for play by post. Is that an option?
Yes, we'll be starting per the PHB standard, level 1. The only additional item you'll be receiving is your background from the FRPG. I'm not picky on people being directly from Cormyr: if people are unfamiliar with the geography of the Forgotten Realms, other nearby regions include the Dalelands, the Dragon Coast, Myth Drannor, and Netheril.
No matter where you're coming from, however, you have to have some reason to have come to Arabel and to already be friends with the other characters. We'll be beginning with your characters receiving their official registration as an adventuring party at High Horn, just outside of Arabel.
Additionally, if people would like, I'll post the finer details on Chondathan humans, the most common lineage in Cormyr: height, weight, sample names and features. Again, if people are interested.
However, I wouldn't push character creation too hard: we're still getting a group together at this point.
I'm thinking of a human Swordmage from Alagrond, possibly with a spell scar, not sure yet though. I'll have a sheet and stuff up here in a bit.
Also: whats our guide for abilities? Standard array?
PSN: ChemENGR
She, and yes, just the PHB and the FRPG.
Since play by post is what most people are interested in, we'll go with that. I'll update the OP with more details in a minute.
Lethe-Tiefling Warlock
Background:
Personality:
Appearence:
Also, How do you want us to post the character sheets?
PSN: ChemENGR
OP has been updated. What background is Lethe from? Does she show that in any way? (For example, if she's from Calimshan, what might she think of how positively vanilla in aspects Cormyr is compared to her homeland.)
Yes, it's not that I think it's bad, it's that this is my first time DMing 4e, and I want to keep it simple on a setting basis and a rules basis for shared benefit.
Yanthil
Background:
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
Rhogar, level 1
Dragonborn, Ranger
Build: Two-Blade Ranger
Fighting Style: Two-Blade Fighting Style
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 18, Con 12, Dex 14, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 12.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 12, Dex 14, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 10.
AC: 15 Fort: 15 Reflex: 13 Will: 11
HP: 29 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 8
TRAINED SKILLS
Nature +6, Stealth +6, Endurance +5, Athletics +8, Acrobatics +6
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana, Bluff +1, Diplomacy +1, Dungeoneering +1, Heal +1, History +2, Insight +1, Intimidate +3, Perception +1, Religion, Streetwise +1, Thievery +1
FEATS
Level 1: Weapon Proficiency (Bastard sword)
POWERS
Ranger at-will 1: Hit and Run
Ranger at-will 1: Twin Strike
Ranger daily 1: Sudden Strike
Ranger encounter 1: Dire Wolverine Strike
ITEMS
Hide Armor, Adventurer's Kit, Bastard sword (2)
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
Looks good, two things:
1) It's Aglarond, not Alagrond.
2) You missed including firepulse in your powers section.
Edit: The two character sheets that have been submitted are using point buy instead of the standard array; I don't mind switching if people would like, but I'd like to know if people would prefer that.
I'm just new and didn't read carefully. Standard array is fine, I'm updating my sheet now.
Edit: also, 2 bastard swords, hide armor, and an adventurer's kit comes to 105 gp. Do you mind fudging on the gold there? If you do, I can take out the sunrods and travel rations and say that he's been living off the land.
A follow-up question of sorts, then: why is your character from the Dalelands? Most dragonborn in the Realms come from Tymanther, as detailed in Chapter 1 of the FRPG. I don't mind at all, but I'm intrigued as to the reason why.
Edit: Fudging the gold's fine. I'll start everyone off at 110 gp for an even playing field, then.
And don't feel bad about the above question, if there was an error there, it's mine, not yours.
Mostly lack of imagination. I thought it would make more sense for him to be from the Dalelands and move to Cormyr to seek fame and fortune than to move all the way from Tymanther. I could add something about why his family fled Tymanther 2 generations ago if you like.
Sure, that works. The reason I asked isn't anything against it, it's that it was unusual to me, and through that, it made me realize that I have a lot of internalized knowledge about racial origins in Toril that new players don't have access to and does need to be expressed. So, all's good.
Edit: Oh, I forgot about Purple Dragon Knights. Well, well, well.
Hehehe.
And yes, as long as you read the background, you'll be fine for information on Cormyr itself.
Character Sheet:
Human, Paladin
Build: Avenging Paladin
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 18, Con 12, Dex 11, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 13.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 12, Dex 11, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 13.
AC: 20 Fort: 16 Reflex: 14 Will: 14
HP: 27 Surges: 11 Surge Value: 6
TRAINED SKILLS
Intimidate +6, Religion +5, Insight +9, Endurance +2, Heal +7
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics -4, Arcana, Bluff +1, Diplomacy +1, Dungeoneering +2, History, Nature +2, Perception +2, Stealth -4, Streetwise +1, Thievery -4, Athletics
FEATS
Human: Armor of Bahamut
Level 1: Powerful Charge
POWERS
Paladin at-will 1: Holy Strike
Paladin at-will 1: Valiant Strike
Bonus At-Will Power: Enfeebling Strike
Paladin daily 1: Paladin's Judgment
Paladin encounter 1: Piercing Smite
ITEMS
Heavy Shield, Plate Armor, Longsword, Dagger, Adventurer's Kit, Throwing hammer (2), 9 gp
Excellent, we don't have a native yet.
I think I have a pretty good handle on Cormyr save figuring out who they fight, so I can put in a little more info about the battle I lost my trusty warhorse in. I guess when they're not fighting general villainy they mostly fight the "Empire of Netheril" which sounds suitably grim.
I make a good native, when being a native means you must be a paladin.
To be honest, it breaks with tradition a little that you don't have one already, but we can easily skip over that in the name of concept.
There are goblins and orcs in the Storm Horns, goblins, gnolls, and orcs in the Stonelands (which is where I'm thinking we'll go) and gnolls, hobgoblins, lizardfolk, and trolls in the Vast Swamp. These populations are generally cleansed by the army at least once every ten years. Feel free to come up with something from there.
Just glad to have you along.
It's not really a concept thing. We start with 110gp, and a warhorse costs 680gp. If I can start in crushing debt to whichever moneylending group would be most inconvenient (as often happened with knights as I understand) I'd have a warhorse. Either concept works for me, but obviously a knight errant looks cooler on horseback.
From a rules perspective, I only get the special ability of a warhorse mount at 3rd level or higher, at least according to the stat box. It would be a mobility benefit even so.
Background
Personality
Appearance
Stat Block
Init +1 HP /29 Bloodied 14 Healing Surge 7 ( used /10)
AC 19 Fort 13 Reflex 15 Will 12 Speed 6
Str 16 (+3) Con 14 (+2) Dex 12 (+1) Int 18 (+4) Wis 11 (+0) Cha 8 (-1)
At Will 1 - Greenflame Blade
Each blow ignites your blade in deadly green fire.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Fire, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Intelligence modifier fire damage, and you
deal fire damage equal to your Strength modifier to all
enemies adjacent to the target.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Intelligence modifier at 21st
level.
At Will 1 - Sword Burst
A sweep of your sword blasts those around you with force.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Force, Implement
Standard Action Close burst 1
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier force damage.
Increase damage to 2d6 + Intelligence modifier at 21st
level.
Encounter 1 - Flame Cyclone
Arcane power swirls around your blade and outward toward
your enemies, engulfing them in an inferno.
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Fire, Implement
Standard Action Close blast 3
Target: Each creature in blast
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d8 + Intelligence modifier + Strength modifier fire
damage.
Daily 1 - Burning Blade
Your fiery blade lunges toward your enemy, and its arcane
warmth seeks to flare again in the wounds of your foes.
Daily ✦ Arcane, Fire, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Attack: Intelligence vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Intelligence modifier fire damage.
Effect: Until the end of the encounter, your melee attacks
deal extra fire damage equal to your Strength modifier.
Firepulse
Encounter ✦ Fire
Immediate Reaction Melee 1
Trigger: An enemy hits you with a melee attack
Target: The triggering enemy
Attack: Strength +2 vs. Reflex, Constitution +2 vs. Reflex, or
Dexterity +2 vs.Reflex
Increase to +4 bonus at 11th level, and to +6 bonus at 21st
level.
Hit: 1d6 + Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity modifier fire
damage.
Increase to 2d6 + Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity
modifier fire damage at 11th level, and to 3d6 + Strength,
Constitution, or Dexterity modifier fire damage at 21st level.
Special: When you gain this manifestation, choose Strength,
Constitution, or Dexterity as the ability score you use when
making attack rolls and damage rolls with this power. This
choice remains throughout your character’s life and does
not change the power’s other effects
Notes 5 Fire Resist
Special Note: I am picking strength for firepulse
If you need me to change any of my background I can make some. Hopefully it gels alright with what you had in mind.
Historically, Cormyr's been really good about outfitting its' soldiers and knights, even when it was being economically screwed over (mostly by a nation called Sembia, now gone and largely taken over by Netheril.)
However, I'm going to hold off on allowing that simply for game balance reasons: your story does make sense, and does suggest new realities for the Cormyr of the 1400s which is cool and fun to work with.
Edit: As it stands, you'll be starting off with regular horses for plot reasons, anyway.
It also gives me a convenient short-term paladin goal besides general virtue. It's a way for him to justify pecuniary gain.
Nice work. Two points about the background:
1) While taking a ship across the Sea of Fallen Stars does make sense, it's far more likely from a trading route perspective that he was accompanying spices headed to Marsember, Cormyr's major port. (Salt would also be a big part of the ship's cargo from Sapra to Marsember.) I'm saying Sapra because Alaghon is now inland since the Sea of Fallen Stars receded. Kobolds and orcs are appropriate enemies in Turmish, if you want to expand on that.
2) Additionally, I'd like you to tweak how you've met the other players in some capacity: I'm looking more at the idea of you as friends going on your first adventure together, not bringing you together for the first time. Less wanted ad, more "we're all in this together."
How he met the other PCs: some he may have known from the Army, some from the town near his family land. None of them seem to be natives, so they'd at least stand out, wherever he found them. In any case, as a Knight Errant with a coat of arms and nobility, however impoverished, it is likely that he's considered at least the nominal leader and can attract these men-at-arms to his cause of justice, whether that's actually entirely their cause or not. It doesn't seem hard to start an adventuring company in Cormyr in any case, I'll look at the other characters and try to think of a way I might know them.
Anyways, as promised:
The Battle of Breadfield, 1479
Ok we can make that minor change, and my work for the city will just be helping to clear out a kobold encampment.
And with us all being friends prior to my adventure, that probably puts me in Cormyr I'd say at least a month ahead of the present. So I sailed into Marsember, and made the trek to Suzail. This mostly depends on the group, my character can thrive near anywhere he is, so if the rest of the team has taken up in Suzail, this could be a classic tale of strangers meeting in the pub one night. But yeah, I'm gonna put myself into Suzail, but if everyone else is located in Arabel or Marsember I can travel. Turns out my character doesn't really have too much of a home on this side of the Sea.