D&D 5E (Recruiting) Greyhawk Old-School Sandbox-Style Campaign

[Creamsteak]

Let us get to the heart of the question of why you selected the bard class in the first place. What is it about that bard class in particular that appeals to you for this character? Would you consider another class as an alternative if it fits the character better? (Any class could have the entertainer background and still fit your description quite well.) I suggest taking a look at page 52 of the PH under "Creating a Bard" and thinking about how the character became a bard in the first place to help answer these questions.

I was debating between bard, ranger, and cleric mostly. I also considered rogue, but she's just not smart enough to be the rogue I want to play. She's witty and creative, but not brilliant. I also was a little inspired by Lindsey Stirling as I worked through the concept. The bad gambler/cards concept has to do with fate and luck. I was more imagining a first level character as a "talented commoner who turns to adventure" instead of someone that already is an adventurer. When you ask how she became a bard, my mind immediately went to admiring some older gentleman bard as a kid growing up. She might always have been aspiring to find this person who was kind to her and who, to her, performed the most amazing performances. Perhaps he gave her the first instrument, and she thought the world of this gentleman as a child. But he, like everyone else in her life, left and moved on.

I think an entertainer/gambler hybrid background would make sense. How about something like:

Entertainer Routine: Singer
Personality Trait: I'm a hopeless romantic, always searching for that "special someone."
Ideal: I like seeing the smiles on people's faces when I perform. That's all that matters.
Bond: I will do anything for the poor, the meek, and the downtrodden.
Flaw: I am a gambler, but never tell me the odds.

With skill proficiency with the Viol and Playing Cards. No dice.

Perhaps she could use the usual bard performance of viol and song in her spells, but when an inconsequential material component is required she burns a card instead of a duck's feather or whatever is specific. It could also be influenced by her spell selection. I was looking at a pretty simple set of something like:

Cantrips: Light, True Strike
1st Level [2 Slots]: Comprehend Languages, Cure Wounds, Heroism, Identify

 

[airwalkrr]

I was debating between bard, ranger, and cleric mostly. I also considered rogue, but she's just not smart enough to be the rogue I want to play. She's witty and creative, but not brilliant. I also was a little inspired by Lindsey Stirling as I worked through the concept. The bad gambler/cards concept has to do with fate and luck. I was more imagining a first level character as a "talented commoner who turns to adventure" instead of someone that already is an adventurer. When you ask how she became a bard, my mind immediately went to admiring some older gentleman bard as a kid growing up. She might always have been aspiring to find this person who was kind to her and who, to her, performed the most amazing performances. Perhaps he gave her the first instrument, and she thought the world of this gentleman as a child. But he, like everyone else in her life, left and moved on.

I think an entertainer/gambler hybrid background would make sense. How about something like:

Entertainer Routine: Singer
Personality Trait: I'm a hopeless romantic, always searching for that "special someone."
Ideal: I like seeing the smiles on people's faces when I perform. That's all that matters.
Bond: I will do anything for the poor, the meek, and the downtrodden.
Flaw: I am a gambler, but never tell me the odds.

With skill proficiency with the Viol and Playing Cards. No dice.

Perhaps she could use the usual bard performance of viol and song in her spells, but when an inconsequential material component is required she burns a card instead of a duck's feather or whatever is specific. It could also be influenced by her spell selection. I was looking at a pretty simple set of something like:

Cantrips: Light, True Strike
1st Level [2 Slots]: Comprehend Languages, Cure Wounds, Heroism, Identify

Okay, I like this a lot. Thanks for adding some more details. I think allowing her to use "a burnt playing card" as a spellcasting focus is a fine idea in this context. You might wish to brush up on Material Components from page 203 of the PH regarding how a spellcasting focus works. Usually bards can only use musical instruments as a focus. But I will allow the substitution of this class feature with a burnt playing card. Bear in mind however, that this will represent a significant deviation from the way bardic magic usually works in the campaign setting, and and as such, any magical spellcasting focus designed for bards such as a magical flute or lyre would not work for this character. Assuming you are okay with this stipulation (magic items are uncommon in 5e anyway, just like in Greyhawk), I think this is an excellent background for the character. Of course your character would be free to pursue the path of creating her own new magic item for this purpose should she so desire. Feel free to proceed with character creation following the rules I have previously prescribed.

 

[Creamsteak]

Alright so instead of entertainer's acrobatics, how about Slight of Hand to more accurately represent the gambler part. She's not a cheat, necessarily, but she's quick with the cards and knows how to cheat if she wanted to. Acrobatics just doesn't fit.

And as you said, instead of Disguise kit proficiency, proficiency with Playing Cards.

 

[airwalkrr]

Alright so instead of entertainer's acrobatics, how about Slight of Hand to more accurately represent the gambler part. She's not a cheat, necessarily, but she's quick with the cards and knows how to cheat if she wanted to. Acrobatics just doesn't fit.

And as you said, instead of Disguise kit proficiency, proficiency with Playing Cards.

Those are perfectly acceptable substitutions to me.

 

[airwalkrr]

I would like to use a wiki so that you all have a source of information on the setting around you. With it being a sandbox, after all, you will need to know something about your surroundings before you can go looking for trouble. How does everyone feel about using Obsidian Portal. I have used it for many campaigns before. Here is an example of an existing campaign of mine to show you what I have in mind to set up. Note particularly the City of Stormreach section. I would create a similar city write-up for the Free City of Greyhawk to start things off and add surroundings from there.

 

[Creamsteak]

[sblock=Background]Mialee of the Cards - Female Human Bard
Mialee is a smiling, silly, and playful traveller who roams from town to town, tavern to tavern. Her heart is always in the next place with the next person, never settling or sitting. Her smile belies her heritage, having been born to some gnarly married hedge wizard and the pretty tavern girl he never bothered to remember. As such Mialee grew up in a tavern, but her heart always wandered. Her first love was a man named Tobias that took a liking to her as he was passing through town. Tobias was a talented performer and a card shark, and he gave Mialee her first instrument and her first deck of playing cards. He taught her the games and the strings, and gave her the attention she wanted in the world, but he left her as everyone else had in her life.

When she grew older, she traveled coast to coast singing and playing cards. She is a gambler by nature, and not the brightest one. High stakes, always, and always looking forward to the next win. She praises Fharlanghn as she travels. Those that know her for more than a single night might see the sadness in her eyes. She travels both to see the next thing and to forget the past. She is a person with no home, no family, and only the road. She sees a great sadness in the world and wants to make better of it. She dreams of a wild and crazy future and performing on the greatest stages on Oerth.

Mialee has curly black hair and light complexion. She an odd strut to her walk, and wears a mix of light form-fitting clothing and wavy skirts. She is certainly not the prettiest girl in the room, she is plain in many ways, but she is always smiling and laughing and tries to bring happiness to those she encounters even when she herself regrets and laments life.

Her call to adventure is to face challenges she has not yet seen. She carries the weight of all the people she has met in the past on her shoulders in silence, and wishes for everyone else to lead a better life. As such, she is inexorably willing to help others in need. As she is quite the gambler and prone to making mistakes in odds, she can easily get in over her head and dive head-long into something she can't handle.[/sblock]

[sblock=Sheet]

[B]Name:[/B] Mialee
[B]Class:[/B] Bard 1
[B]Race:[/B] Human
[B]Background:[/B] Entertainer/Gambler
[B]Size:[/B] Medium (5'4", 126 lb)
[B]Gender:[/B]     Female
[B]Alignment:[/B]  Chaotic Neutral     

[B]Str:[/B] 14 (+2) save: +2     [B]HP:[/B] 10 (1d8+2)
[B]Dex:[/B] 16 (+3) save: +5     [B]AC:[/B] 14 leather armor
[B]Con:[/B] 14 (+2) save: +2
[B]Int:[/B] 8 (-1)  save: -1     [B]Speed:[/B]   30
[B]Wis:[/B] 14 (+2) save: +2     [B]Init:[/B]    +3
[B]Cha:[/B] 14 (+2) save: +4     [B]Passive Perception:[/B]    12


[B]Skills:[/B]                    [B]Abilities:[/B]
Acrobatics         +3      Spellcasting
Animal Handling    +2      Bardic Inspiration (d6)
Arcana             -1
Athletics          +2
*Deception         +4
History            -1
Insight            +2
Intimidation       +2
Investigation      -1
Medicine           +2
Nature             -1
Perception         +2
*Performance       +4
*Persuasion        +4
Religion           -1
*Slight of Hand    +5
*Stealth           +5
Survival           +2

[b]Cantrips:[/b] Mage Hand, Vicious Mockery
[b]1st Level [2 Slots]:[/b] Comprehend Languages, Cure Wounds, Dissonant Whispers, Identify

[B]Proficiencies:[/B]
Armor: Light
Weapons: Simple, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: Lute, Viol, Harp, Playing Cards
Languages: Common, Dwarven

[B]Weapon                Attack  Damage     Type[/B]
Rapier, 1h             +5     1d8+3        P
Dagger, oh             +5     1d4          P


[B]Equipment:[/B]
Rapier
Entertainer's Pack
*Viol
*Playing Card set
Favor of an admirer (love letter)
Leather Armor
Costume
Belt Pouch
Dagger


[B]Money:[/B] 15 gp

[B]Entertainer Routine:[/B] Singer
[b]Personality Trait:[/b] I'm a hopeless romantic, always searching for that "special someone."
[B]Ideal:[/B] I like seeing the smiles on people's faces when I perform. That's all that matters.
[B]Bond:[/B] I will do anything for the poor, the meek, and the downtrodden.
[B]Flaw:[/B] I am a gambler, but never tell me the odds.

[/sblock]

 

[Skarsgard]

I'm fine with the wiki as well.

Creamsteak, how does Mialee feel about con jobs? The reason I ask is that my character loves them and would love to have an accomplice!

 

[KirayaTiDrekan]

I won't be able to get any stats or anything done until Thursday, maybe Friday.

 

[Creamsteak]

I'm fine with the wiki as well.

Creamsteak, how does Mialee feel about con jobs? The reason I ask is that my character loves them and would love to have an accomplice!

I think that depends on the job. She wouldn't steal bread from a peasant or cheat at a game of chance, but if it's a bit more noble than that she's happy to be involved. I would be careful though, she can be a bit on the silly side or take things too far.

 

[Spartain104]

Kail Ryon is a Human Monk Hermit. Kail is a reluctant monk, and as an orphan found that the steady meals and training within the temple were far superior to living on the streets. He cuts his blond hair close to his scalp and the occasional blonde beard appears when on the road. Although trained to better his mind and body, and taught the Divinity of the Mortal rather than gods, he is young and reckless. This left him to be sent away, on a pilgrimage to better himself and attune himself to the plight of mortals. He wears simple linen robes in the form of a ki, tightly fitted to allow freedom of movement. With few possessions and a young heart he wanders the land attempting to atone and find his "path".

Hey there, im new to this forum but not DnD 5e or PbP. I thought this looked like a fantastic idea for adventure and thought i'd give it a pass. One thing is that I have never played as a player before, and spent the last 15 years playing solely as a DM. I wanted to get a feel and try it out through this format. Let me know if you want a different class or archetype as I was considering Ranger or maybe a spellcaster/paladin instead. Wanted to round out your party if thats what your into!