Background Brainstorming Exercise

[Cor Azer]

Dwarf fighter

"Laugh at me being drunk!?"

Well, okay, she was drunk. Very drunk. But then, her parents did own two bars in Morrenhold, and her uncle a brewery. How could she not drink? Sure, allergies and an unreasonable bladder were knocks against her, but thankfully, her fist was usually enough to stop the laughter - so long as she wasn't too drunk to aim - and when that failed, Amarine "Reckless" Wreckhouse owned an axe.

But what is a proper dwarven lass to do with her life... besides drink?

Amarine was not one to sit pretty. Anyone suggesting that, see above re: laughter at drunkeness. With her families ties to the alcohol industry, Amarine could have any eligible dwarven bachelor she wanted. But dwarves are a stubborn lot, and Amarine was not about to let some bearded bunch of goblin-bottom-wipers decide her future.

She was going to go out into the big, shiny world and find herself a husband. And if she had to knock some heads along the way, so be it. If she had to knock her potential husband's head, well, alcohol cures many ails, and Amarine knows where the best alcohol is... she's just not very good at holding it in.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I think she needs to go to rehab...

 

[steeldragons]

I think she needs to go to rehab...

They tried to make her go, but...EV'RYBODY SING!

Too soon?

Sounds like Amarine and Shaman's dwarf are going to be fast friends. hahaha.

Well, happy Saturday at any rate.

Thank's everyone for your really cool responses. I can definitely see a real viable party here. Good jobs all around.

So, to date, we have:
Colward, "Col": human male/fighter
[Shaman's Dwarf]: dwarf [male or female?]/fighter
Amarine Wreckhouse: dwarf female/fighter
Rillion: half-elf female/ranger
Nightblossem: half-elf female/ranger
Aesir Aeroleon" elf male/mage
Manzare'en: human male/mage
[Jimlock's Cleric]: human male/cleric
Alice Summertoes: halfling female/thief

Looks like a solid AD&D party to me.

Couple of loose ends:
[MENTION=1613]grodog[/MENTION]: I'm assuming from the description of "old at 37" that Manzare'en is human? Also, taking "Detect Magic and Read Magic as "givens" what 2 other cantrips and 3 1st level spells of "no significance" would you be starting with?
[MENTION=82555]the[/MENTION]Shaman: What's your dwarf's name? Male or female? Two female dwarves in a single party might be a "First" for me in all of my years. But why not? Actually, a party with a male and female dwarf in it at the same time would be also, I think. lol.
[MENTION=6674931]Jimlock[/MENTION]: What's your cleric's name? What was your god/dess (having his/her temple infiltrated) a god/dess of? Sounds like it should be something generally accepted and/or commonly worshiped...since people aren't up in arms (or haven't yet noticed) about this subtle "sliding" of the clergy's motives/dogma.

For our two female half-elven rangers...I'm thinking maybe adding some reason for two such rare characters (assume half-elves are not common) to be found in the same area...a secret Sisterhood of Swanmays perhaps (also a decent way to explain how [MENTION=6682741]DnD_Dad[/MENTION] 's Nightblossem could speak common and/or elvin along with the animals?)

Maybe they are each trying to get accepted by the order? Making them related would be a bit simple, I think. Especially since they each have such separate nicely rendered backgrounds. I dunno...thoughts on how/why they'd both be around?

Very good work, again. Maybe this could become an actual [my first running of] PbP game...if people are interested?

Have fun and happy gaming.
--Steel Dragons

 

[steeldragons]

[MENTION=6674931]Jimlock[/MENTION] (but anyone else wishing to include some religion/belief to their character): Couple of deity options from my own campaign world that might be useful...depending on the alignment of the character you were conceiving...

Astar: "The Celestial Sovereign" Lawful Good god of good, light, just and benevolent rule, "the king of the gods". Generally worshiped in large structured/"civilized" areas. Devoted, most commonly, with rulers and involved in realm politics, I could see the possibility (if not probability) of corruption very easily.

Celradorn: "The Golden Defender" Lawful Good god of guardianship and battleskill. This god possesses the largest/most commonly encountered order of paladins. As a cleric, you are part of that temple's priestly branch (the clergy). But the separate branches of worship make it rife for power-conflicts (between the upper echelons of the paladinic and priestly castes).

Sylari: Chaotic Good goddess of nature, weather, the harvest. Most commonly worshiped deity of the common folk/rural areas. Oftentimes, worshipers of the "rural" Sylari and the "urban" Astar find themselves at odds. It is also worth noting that clerics of Sylari are not Druids. Druids possess their own secretive "mysterious" order. Clerics of Sylari are considered priests/priestesses of the gods of Men. Druids, by most followers of the gods, are considered "heathens." Generally speaking, however, Sylari clerics and druids do get along.

Tyris: Chaotic Good goddess of seas (and all significant bodies of water) and storms (in coastal regions). Patron of mariners, fishermen and all those who make their livelihood from the sea/lakes/rivers. Mytho-/Cosmologically speaking, Tyris is the sister of Sylari. If you want to originate from a coastal region, the worship of Tyris is not uncommon.

Irion: "The Crusader" Neutral (Good) god of the sun, change and travel, patron/protector of travelers [Nothing bad ever happens in the day time, right? ]

Bentier: Lawful Neutral (lesser) goddess of justice and law. Clerics/"temples" (which are the courts of law) are generally only found worshiped in large urban areas as lawyers and judges, but roaming "lawmen" are sometimes found spreading/enforcing law and dispensing justice outside of the cities. Again, rife for political influence/involvement/corruption. Mythologically speaking, Bentier is the daughter of Astar.

Dunric: Neutral god of stone, metallurgy and building/crafting, patron of miners, engineers, smiths and (to a lesser extent) craftsmen of all types, including the distilling/brewing/fermenting of alcoholic beverages, "the smith of the gods". Also a commonly worshiped deity in more rural areas though not quite on par with Sylari (except in predominantly mining communities).

There are several others, of course, but these seem to be some of the more common that might be useful to an "adventurer" cleric.

--SD

 

[SnowleopardVK]

Gnome Illusionist

Zinzindin had always had hoped that one day he would die extravagantly. Eventually he got sick of waiting and faked his own death with instructions for a lavish funeral. Once he was "dead" though, he realized it wasn't all he'd hoped it would be, and promptly decided to return to the land of the living.

His fellow villagers however didn't see things from his point of view, and when he miraculously dug his way out of his grave, people began trying to kill him! Zinzindin managed to escape, and run away, but word quickly spread about the "undead" gnome on the loose and he was forced to hide himself away for years and study the one type of magic that could disguise him from the very confused general public. Illusion.

Once he had a grasp on the basics he would set out into the world with a new goal, to live extravagantly rather than to do so in death. He knew that to truly amass enough treasure to satisfy himself he had only one option. To claim a dragon's horde for himself.

 

[Jimlock]

[MENTION=6674931]Jimlock[/MENTION]: What's your cleric's name?

Amm.... Deeamar?

[MENTION=6674931]Jimlock[/MENTION] (but anyone else wishing to include some religion/belief to their character): Couple of deity options from my own campaign world that might be useful...depending on the alignment of the character you were conceiving...

Astar: "The Celestial Sovereign" Lawful Good god of good, light, just and benevolent rule, "the king of the gods". Generally worshiped in large structured/"civilized" areas. Devoted, most commonly, with rulers and involved in realm politics, I could see the possibility (if not probability) of corruption very easily.

Celradorn: "The Golden Defender" Lawful Good god of guardianship and battleskill. This god possesses the largest/most commonly encountered order of paladins. As a cleric, you are part of that temple's priestly branch (the clergy). But the separate branches of worship make it rife for power-conflicts (between the upper echelons of the paladinic and priestly castes).

Sylari: Chaotic Good goddess of nature, weather, the harvest. Most commonly worshiped deity of the common folk/rural areas. Oftentimes, worshipers of the "rural" Sylari and the "urban" Astar find themselves at odds. It is also worth noting that clerics of Sylari are not Druids. Druids possess their own secretive "mysterious" order. Clerics of Sylari are considered priests/priestesses of the gods of Men. Druids, by most followers of the gods, are considered "heathens." Generally speaking, however, Sylari clerics and druids do get along.

Tyris: Chaotic Good goddess of seas (and all significant bodies of water) and storms (in coastal regions). Patron of mariners, fishermen and all those who make their livelihood from the sea/lakes/rivers. Mytho-/Cosmologically speaking, Tyris is the sister of Sylari. If you want to originate from a coastal region, the worship of Tyris is not uncommon.

Irion: "The Crusader" Neutral (Good) god of the sun, change and travel, patron/protector of travelers [Nothing bad ever happens in the day time, right? ]

Bentier: Lawful Neutral (lesser) goddess of justice and law. Clerics/"temples" (which are the courts of law) are generally only found worshiped in large urban areas as lawyers and judges, but roaming "lawmen" are sometimes found spreading/enforcing law and dispensing justice outside of the cities. Again, rife for political influence/involvement/corruption. Mythologically speaking, Bentier is the daughter of Astar.

Dunric: Neutral god of stone, metallurgy and building/crafting, patron of miners, engineers, smiths and (to a lesser extent) craftsmen of all types, including the distilling/brewing/fermenting of alcoholic beverages, "the smith of the gods". Also a commonly worshiped deity in more rural areas though not quite on par with Sylari (except in predominantly mining communities).

There are several others, of course, but these seem to be some of the more common that might be useful to an "adventurer" cleric.

--SD

Hmmm... I'd either go with Astar or Irion. Astar looks better for our case. Bentier sounds interesting too... but I'd probably pick a good Deity to flesh out the contrast.

 

[DnD_Dad]

Nightblossem can learn common but trades all starting languages for the language if the forest.

 

[steeldragons]

Nightblossem can learn common but trades all starting languages for the language if the forest.

Considering it was her elvin mother who left her the circlet...I'd be willing to say she knows Elvin and the language of the forest...all other "half-elf" languages are forfeit.

Assuming she still has the silver circlet, gifted by her mother, I'd be willing (based on the background) to allow PC speech with:
Bears, Eagles, Hawks/Falcons (a dialect of Eagle, obviously ), lynx, cougar/puma, songbird (any variety), Deer/Elk, Badger, Weasel/Ferret, Raccoon, Squirrel/Chipmunk, Fox, Wolf and Otter/Beaver...that work for you?

Common can be learned, in addition, if the Int. allows. But it would being as an empathic sort of relation to start with/as she learns..."good/bad, yes/no, man/non-man", etc...sound reasonable?

--SD

 

[DnD_Dad]

That sounds gravy.

 

[grodog]

Thank's everyone for your really cool responses. I can definitely see a real viable party here. Good jobs all around.

Thanks!

So, to date, we have:
Manzare'en: human male/magic-user

Quick correction

Couple of loose ends:
[MENTION=1613]grodog[/MENTION]: I'm assuming from the description of "old at 37" that Manzare'en is human? Also, taking "Detect Magic and Read Magic as "givens" what 2 other cantrips and 3 1st level spells of "no significance" would you be starting with?

Hmmm. Well, I guess that depends on what you're treating as cantrips---the ones from UA, or are you using SRD 3.x cantrips?

So, ignoring those for the nonce, a few quick rolls from DMG page 39 sets Manzare'en's spellbook as follows: roll 7 on Offensive = Push, 9 on Defensive = Ventriloquism, roll 3 on Misc = Erase

Cantrips: ?
First Level: Read Magic, Detect Magic, Push, Ventriloquism, Erase

We'd need to know Manzare'en's Int to know his chance to learn additional spells, as well as the minimum and max he can learn for each level, and the max level spells he can cast.

Maybe this could become an actual [my first running of] PbP game...if people are interested?

Unfortunately, I don't have time for that, but I would be happy to snag this group of PCs as an NPC party for my random encounters in Castle Greyhawk, if no one has any objections?