D&D 5E Halloween Special: X2 Chateau d' Amberville (86'd)

[Creamsteak]

Random Idea:

[B]Name:[/B] Fen, "Vampire" Hunter
[B]Class:[/B] Rogue 2/Monk 1
[B]Race:[/B] Human
[B]Background:[/B] Hermit
[B]Size:[/B] Medium (5'9", 155 lb)
[B]Gender:[/B] Male
[B]Alignment:[/B] Neutral Evil

[B]Str:[/B] 15 (+2) save: 4    [B]HP:[/B] 27 (3d8+9)
[B]Dex:[/B] 20 (+5) save: 7    [B]AC:[/B] 19
[B]Con:[/B] 16 (+3) save: 3 
[B]Int:[/B] 14 (+2) save: 4    [B]Speed:[/B] 30
[B]Wis:[/B] 18 (+4) save: 4    [B]Init:[/B] +5
[B]Cha:[/B] 13 (+1) save: 1    [B]Passive Perception:[/B] 16


[B]Skills:[/B]                     [B]Abilities:[/B]
*Acrobatics        +7       Unarmored Defense
Animal Handling    +4       Martial Arts
Arcana             +2       Expertise
*Athletics         +4       Sneak Attack +1d6
Deception          +1       Thieves' Cant
History            +2       Cunning Action
Insight            +4       Weapon Master
Intimidation       +1       Discovery (background)
Investigation      +2
*Medicine          +6
Nature             +2
*Perception        +6
Performance        +1
Persuasion         +1
*Religion          +4
Sleight of Hand    +5
**Stealth          +9
*Survival          +6
**Thieves' Tools   +9
*Herbalism Kit     +6

[B]Proficiencies:[/B]
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords, scimitars, heavy crossbows, longbows, whips
Tools: Thieves' tools, herbalism kit
Languages: Common, Infernal

[B]Weapon                Attack  Damage     Type  Range[/B]
Rapier                   +7      1d8+5      P     Melee
Scimitar                 +7      1d6+5      S     Melee
Dagger                   +7      1d4+5      P     Melee
Heavy crossbow           +7      1d10+5     P     100/400
Whip                     +7      1d4+5      S     Reach

[B]Equipment:[/B]
scroll case stuffed full of notes from your studies
winter blanket
common clothes
herbalism kit
backpack
crowbar
hammer
10 pitons
10 torches
tinderbox
10 days of rations
waterskin
50 feet hemp rope
thieves' tools
rapier
shortsword
2 daggers
2 silvered scimitars
heavy crossbow
10 silvered crossbow bolts
40 crossbow bolts
Whip
flask of holy water
healing potion
quiver
3 holy symbols (amulet, emblem, reliquary)

[B]Money:[/B] 11 gp

[B]Life of Seclusion:[/B] I wandered an ancient mausoleum for many years learning the names and stories of all of the dead.
[b]Personality Trait:[/b] I connect everything that happens to me to a grand, cosmic plan.
[B]Ideal:[/B] Solitude and contemplation are paths toward mystical power.
[B]Bond:[/B] Should my discovery come to light, it could bring ruin to the world.
[B]Flaw:[/B] My isolation gave me great insight into a great evil that only I can destroy.

[sblock=Fen]We had come to the ruins of Old Crevak in search of treasure. We had a large band, thirty in all, and we thought ourselves clever and strong. I could hear their screams behind me as I ran deeper into the ruins. I ran, blind and empty into the darkness of a dungeon I did not know. I could not fathom the fears I would face in those halls. The voices of my friends calling out to me in the darkness... twisted and corrupted by whatever black thing had consumed their souls and sent them to hunt the flesh of the living.

Close to my heart I held a priest's heirlooms. I silently shook in the cold depths of a stone pit. I escaped death, but not torment. For months I would roam those halls. I would live in those halls. I would know the stone. I would know the earth. I would find the ancient burial sites of so many dead in that time. It changed me. It shook me down and broke my spirit... and it reforged me.

When I found another path out... when I finally... after years of searching... could see the sunlight again... I would have cried... but I could cry no more. My body was frail. But I had learned... this world was doomed... and I must learn how to protect it. I was chosen to survive. Those abominations could not have me. My soul would go to the grace of the gods. My body would be made into an implement of war. I would learn the many ways to fight... and I would return some day... and I would slay that devil and bring peace to all my falled comrades.

... or I would die.[/sblock]

OOC: Fen is a man driven to madness by his experience in Old Crevak. He was originally hired as a lock pick by a large exploration company that wished to get very wealthy off treasures rumoured to be in the old tomb. He was considered one of the least experienced recruits. When a howling camp of undead surrounded the company, Fen fled. He believes he was the only survivor. He wandered the catacombs for months... years... haunted by both the real and imagined dead of his company. He eventually escaped, and with a small amount of valuables... and some esoteric knowledge, he went into hiding to train his body after what he had learned. He now seeks out dark and evil corners of the world... both for profit... and to seek out the pieces to the puzzle in his mind. He eventually seeks to get revenge on the ghosts of Old Crevak.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

My grand plan to wake up early and vet another couple sheets fell through. I'll be here later tonight with comments, though!

Bis spater, all.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[MENTION=6801671]itcomeswithamap[/MENTION], I've vetted Surana and PMed you with my queries. Great Larry Elmore artwork that you included, btw. Love the camp.

 

[KirayaTiDrekan]

So, I'm thinking this is a little more campy than I realized when I first expressed interest. Campy isn't really my thing. I shall bow out in favor of others waiting in the wings.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

You got it, [MENTION=6755061]Kiraya_TiDrekan[/MENTION]. The stars will align some day.

 

[Herobizkit]

Just wanted to roll in and comment that I've run both Isle of Dread (cut my DM teeth on it, actually, back in '87) and The Lost City. Both are very meaty with tons of delicious action/adventure shenanigans.

I'd throw a character in for this, but I've already got one PbP on the go and waiting on a second. Color me intrigued, though, as I've never seen/run Castle Amber.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[MENTION=36150]Herobizkit[/MENTION], Isle of Dread is on my to-run short list. Might do it sometime this winter or next spring as another one-month special.

Looks like I have three character submissions, with the cut-off date this Tuesday. Definitely room for additional submissions.

 

[Fenris]

Two more coming tonight

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[MENTION=552]Creamsteak[/MENTION], I've vetted Fen and sent you a PM with my comments. Thanks!

EDIT: The snippet your wrote about Fen sounds familiar to my ear. Did you crib Clay Ashton Smith? Because that would be pretty damned cool. Shades of Jane Eyre, maybe? With a dash of Sherlock Holmes?

 

[CanadienneBacon]

If anyone is interested to get a feel for the prose that allegedly inspired Chateau d'Amberville, here's a link to the short stories of Clay Ashton Smith.