D&D 5E The New World [Volo Monsters]

Shayuri said:

(Sheet isn't 100% done, but it's very close and I wanted to get it online so I could edit it from there)

Click to expand...

OK, I have the following notes on the sheet:

• Need to pick your simple weapon (Warlock)
• Need to pick component pouch or arcane focus (Warlock)
• Need to pick scholar's pack or dungeoneer's pack (Warlock)
• For the Spy, I suggest replacing the crowbar with "credentials" -- in this case some false papers showing you to be one of the invaders. I'd also replace the "criminal contact" with an "intelligence contact" -- in this case someone who organizes the network of Yuan-Ti spies
• Need to pick a gaming set (Spy)
• Need to pick the personality items: two Traits, an Ideal, a Bond, a Flaw

Here's what I have so far:
http://opentools.org/the-new-world/saashala.pdf

Yep! Those are why I said it wasn't 100% yet.

I'd love to replace the crowbar with credentials, and the criminal contact with intelligence contact! Awesome and thank you!

I shall update sheet soon with all of these things.

JustinCase said:

Alright, how's this:

Ripnek Ratkiller used to be a frail young bugbear.
[...]
Kleaf would not kill his own blood, but he would do the next best thing: Remove Ripnek from his sight. Again.

Click to expand...

Sounds great!

TallIan said:

I forgot to ask about starting equipment, I’ve traded the longbow I would start with for a short bow, as I don’t see a goblin using a longbow. I hope that is ok. I was planning on making him a bit of a poisoner, but then I noticed that a vial of poison was 100GP for 1d4 poison damage - hardly worth buying it - and using the poisoners kit takes 20 days and 50GP to make one dose of poison – also hardly worth it. So I might change that aspect of the character.

Click to expand...

Yeah, it's kind of weird they don't offer a Small-creature option out of the box for the Ranger longbow -- the rest have alternative options built in. Anyway, a shortbow makes total sense.

I'm not sure you'd get much practical use out of any set of artisan's tools or musical instrument (the original options for Uthgardt Tribe Member). Whatever you pick strikes me as largely for flavor more than utility. That being the case, there's nothing wrong with picking poisoner. You're more likely to encounter poison than, say, a plot-relevant set of boots, but whatever fits the concept is fine. I'll try to let you apply your proficiency bonus whenever your tool skills seems relevant (identifying a poison, or figuring out where someone came from given the style of their boots, or whatever).

OK, I've updated the first post with everyone's PC status as I understand it.

We have two PCs pretty much done and a third quite close. If I can finalize a PC sheet with [MENTION=6776182]JustinCase[/MENTION] or we can get [MENTION=6855204]tglassy[/MENTION] to post specifics and work through those, then I'm content to start with the group of 4. It'll be easy enough to add one or two more later.

Name: Karok the Crow (Often goes by "Crow")
Race: Orc
Class: Stormborn Sorcerer
Background: Sailor

Strength: 10
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 13

Save Proficiencies: Constitution, Charisma

Health: 9 hp
AC: 12 (17 with Shield)

Skills:
Athletics: +2
Arcana: +2
Perception: +2 (12 Passive Perception)
Intimidation: +3
Persuasion: +3

Weapons: (Attack/Damage)
Quarterstaff: +2/1d8
Dagger: +4/1d4+2


Cantrips:
Gust
Shape Water
Shocking Grasp
Ray of Frost

Spells:
Magic Missiles (Flavor: looks like ball lightning, but does normal force damage)
Shield (Flavor: Emergency electrical energy field)

Proficiencies:
Navigator's tools
Water Vehicles
Orcish
Common

Equipment:
Belaying pin
50 feet of silk rope
Trinket (Roll for it.)
Common Clothes
10 gp
Arcane Focus: Staff (acts as his quarterstaff as well)
Light Crossbow
20 Bolts
Explorer Pack


Orc Personality Trait:
I welcome any chance to prove my battle skills
I crave the freedom of the open sky, especially during storms

Sailor Ideals:
Freedom: The sea is freedom - the freedom to go anywhere and do anything.

Sailor Bond:
Ruthless Pirates (read: Navy Officers) murdered my captain and cremates, plundered our ship, and left me to die. Vengeance will be mine.

Orc Flaws:
I have a calm temperament and let insults roll of my back.


Background:
Karok is an unusual Orc. From the moment he was born, the tribe thought him different. He was born during a violent storm that wracked the country side. As he grew, the smell of ozone seemed to follow him everywhere, and the first time he shocked one of his broodmates, the whispers that he was either a chosen of Gruumsh, or a demon in disguise, began to grow.

But this wasn't the only thing that made him unusual. His unusual connection with storms called him to the surface more than others of his kind. While he would work in the caves and tunnels, and learned to fight in them like every Orc, more than anything, he craved his freedom. He craved the skies. He would often be found during the Spring storms sitting at the cave entrance, watching the lighting flash to the rhythm of his heartbeat.

As he grew, he decided to hone his power, rather than simply be a brute like all the other Orcs. This, above all his oddities, made him an outcast. He could not be easily killed, his ability to shock and freeze saw to that, but he was held in distain by the other, stronger Orcs. He was given the worst assignments in the lowest portions of the caverns, and was set upon by gangs of other, stupider Orcs simply because he wanted to go out onto this surface. The constant beatings, being forced to dig more tunnels, being pushed beyond what other Orcs were hardened his body.

Eventually, his tribe began trading with a seafaring ship of new creatures, ones that came from a far off land, and that had a ship's wizard. Eager to be done with the caverns, Karok volunteered to be the liaison between the tribe and this ship. To protect the tribe's interest, he was sent on the ship, to learn their ways, as well as their weaknesses, for the tribe wanted to know how best to kill these newcomers.

It turns out the ship's crew were...less than legal. They were pirates, who prayed on other ships, be they human or otherwise. This sat perfectly fine with Karok. His skills quickly made him a valuable member of the ship's crew, and he learned everything they had to teach about sailing a vessel. During the storms, he would sit in the Crow's Nest, feeling at one with the the mighty gales and fierce hurricanes. The crew called him "The Crazy Crow". or just "Crow", because of this.

He also felt a new feeling, one he had never felt before: Kinship. He felt bonded to these men, these humans, and he grew to like them, even as he plotted how best to kill them. In the end, the ship's demise came not from his own hand, but by man's. They were caught by human naval ship, and lost the battle. Karok was captured and tortured, made a slave, beaten to an inch of his life over and over. He found that these men were every bit as cruel as his Orc masters had been.

During a storm, he made his escape. Using the power of the storm, he set the ship on fire, and threw himself overboard. Days later, he washed up on shore, and made his way to his people's caverns. When he got there, he heard the whispers of this new...team being put together to fight off the invading humans and elves and dwarves. And he wanted nothing more than to have his revenge. Being an outcast among his own people, he vollunteered.

Sorry, took me a while to type that up this evening, and to decide on how to spend my points. In the end, Constitution won out, along with Dex and Cha. I didn't feel he would be stupid, so I just left that and wis at average. I figure he focused more on his strange power than on getting stronger, and only upped his Dex for AC.

I did really, really want him to wear heavy armor eventually, as I originally saw him as a battle caster. But you said no multi classing, and that's the only way he could get heavy armor. Perhaps Tempus Cleric, as he starts either worshiping storms, or worships that aspect of Gruumsh. But, with no multi classing, he'd need three feats to get heavy armor, and it's not worth that. I could have just gone Tempest Cleric, but I like the flavor of Storm Sorcerer instead.

Good to see it! I'm getting a little bleary-eyed tonight, so I'll give this a closer read tomorrow.

Basically, I read through Volo's guide about Orc life, and found nothing related to what would happen if one suddenly gained magic power, except for maybe necromancy. I love unorthodox characters, so having a Stormborn Sorcerer as an Orc sounded...well awesome. Only, a few things would need to take place.

He'd want to be outside. That's unusual for an Orc. They like their caves. They aren't negatively effected by being outside, but they like their caves. So having an Orc that likes to be outside, that likes to watch storms, would be an anomaly.

He'd likely value freedom more than the average Orc, because of his connection with Storms. That, in my mind, makes him more of a free thinker, thus having at least average intelligence and wisdom, instead of negative, which is easy to do. Intel is a dump stat for power gamers, but I just don't see him as being a stupid Orc. Maybe not a genius, but smart enough to talk to anyone of any other race.

He's curious, and has come to the belief that his own power is going to be gained not through strength of arm, but strength of will. He wants to learn his magic, and gain power from it. He can almost see himself coming back from this campaign, and challenging the chieftain for the right to rule the tribe. If he has the power of the Storm behind him, and can learn how to control it, then maybe this isn't such a far off dream. He will prove that physical strength is only part of the picture, and that he can be just as ruthless and powerful without it.

As for the sailer part, it makes the most sense for a Stormborn. None of the other official backgrounds really worked. And he had to have learned his power somewhere. Being one of the few Orcs around who can manage a sailing vessel would be useful, I think. As well as the fact that Elminster's note in Volo's Guide says that some of the weaker Orcs are sent to spy on the more civilized societies, to learn about them, so I thought this might fit.

ammulder said:

I'm not sure you'd get much practical use out of any set of artisan's tools or musical instrument ...

Click to expand...

Yeah that's true - the tools/instrument options are largely flavour. I think I', just getting hung up on the fact that poison in the game is a bit of a mechanical dud.

Oh well, you can't get everything you want.