Build a Character together - a 5E interactive game - take II

[Ruslan]

After the success of the first iteration of this game, let's try and build a 5E character together ... again!

Poster #1 will choose Race, and any subrace if applicable.
#2: Alignment
#3: Background, and alternate background feature, if applicable.
#4: Personality Trait
#5: Ideal (can't be opposed to your alignment. Eg, if you're Chaotic good, you can't choose Evil or Lawful ideals, but can choose Neutral)
#6: Bond
#7: Flaw
#8: Ability score assignment - use the 15/14/13/12/10/8 array, racial bonuses apply
#9: Racial choices (eg. if race is Variant Human, choose feat, if race is Half-Elf chose bonus skills, if High Elf choose Cantrip, etc); if race doesn't allow optional choices, skip this step.
#10: Class at 1st level, and any class-related choices (eg. known spells for Sorcerer, fighting style for fighter, etc)
#11: Class at 2nd level, and any class-related choices
...
#29: Class at 20th level, and any class-related choices

All choices must be legal. For this game, let's keep it to PHB material only all official WotC material except UA.

The three-post rule applies (don't post unless at least 3 people posted since your previous post)

Let me start.

#1: Race: Variant Human

---------------------

Status so far, as of post #44

Talisker Storm
Cleric (Trickery) 2 / Arcane Trickster 5 / Transmutation Wizard 6 / Fighter (EK) 3, Chaotic Neutral
Background: Noble, variant Knight
Trait: I like pie, and will never refuse a piece!
Ideal: The world should be full of beautiful things, like me! so I HAVE to leave statues of my face in every town i pass by
Bond: I am absolutely loyal to my house and family.
Flaw: I consider my skills better than those that others possess, and will never pass up an opportunity to brag.

Str: 8
Dex: 16
Con: 10
Int: 14
Wis: 16
Cha: 12

Feat: Magic Initiate Bard (Vicious Mockery, Friends, Charm Person)

Skills and tools: Sleight of Hand (Expertise), Religion, Insight, History, Persuasion, Stealth, Thieves Tools (expertise)

Cleric Cantrips known: Sacred Flame, Guidance, Thaumaturgy

Arcane Trickster spells known: Silent Image, Charm Person, Disguise Self, Hideous Laughter
Arcane Trickster Cantrips: Minor Illusion, Mage Hand, Friends

Wizard Cantrips: Light, mending, prestidigitation
Wizard Spellbook: Comprehend languages, feather fall, jump, shield, tenser's floating disk, sleep. Hypnotic Pattern, Haste, Tongues, Major Image, ...

EK spells: booming blade, message, shield, magic missile, mage armor.

Other class features: Channel Divinity, Cunning Action, Sneak Attack +3d6, Uncanny Dodge, Minor Alchemy, Transmuter's Stone

[Specter]

#2: Chaotic Neutral for the win!

[Biggstick]

#3: Noble. The variant Knight. (3 retainers and all.)

[DivisibleByZero]

#4 Personality Trait: I like pie, and will never refuse a piece!

[Maxilian]

#5: Ideal

The world should be full of beutifull things, like me! so I HAVE to leave statues of my face in every town i pass by :smallbiggrin:

[Ruslan]

For my own sake, small clarification question: are "I like pie, and will never refuse a piece!" and "The world should be full of beutifull things, like me! so I HAVE to leave statues of my face in every town i pass by" in any official WotC material? If so, which?



All choices must be legal. For this game, let's keep it to PHB material only all official WotC material except UA.

[EvilAnagram]

#6- Bond: I am absolutely loyal to my house and family.

[Anonymouswizard]

Keeping bonds, flaws, traits, and ideals to published ones is a bit limiting, you're supposed to make them up (the provided ones are just examples). That said, moving on.

EDIT: looks like I'm doing #7: Flaw.

I consider my skills better than those that others possess, and will never pass up an opportunity to brag.

[EvilAnagram]

Keeping bonds, flaws, traits, and ideals to published ones is a bit limiting, you're supposed to make them up (the provided ones are just examples). That said, moving on.

#6 Bond: my old cook, who taught me the legendary martial art of sculpt-fu.

Haha! Your sculpt-fu could not defeat my forum ninjitsu!

[PapaQuackers]

Str: 8
Dex: 13
Con: 10
Int: 14
Wis: 15
Cha: 12

[Spore]

Magic Initiate Bard: Vicious Mockery, Silent Image, Charm Person

[Ruslan]

Str: 8
Dex: 14
Con: 10
Int: 14
Wis: 16
Cha: 12

Not done with racial choices, as they also include:
- Ability increases: +1 to two abilities, as per above
- Skill proficiency: Sleight of Hand

Class at level 1: Cleric (Trickery); skills from class: Religion, Insight [plus History and Persuasion from background before]

[PapaQuackers]

I forgot that we had chosen variant human and I thought race selection was coming up next. My bad!

[MasterMercury]

Class at level 1: Cleric (Trickery); skills from class: Religion, Insight [plus History and Persuasion from background before]

What cantrips do you choose?
Sacred flame, guidance, and Thaumaturgy get my vote. Maybe spare the dying.

[Ruslan]

What cantrips do you choose?
Sacred flame, guidance, and Thaumaturgy get my vote. Maybe spare the dying.

Sorry, forgot cantrips. What he said ^^^^

[Biggstick]

Magic Initiate Bard: Vicious Mockery, Silent Image, Charm Person

I assume what you meant was: Vicious Mockery and either Minor Illusion or Friends. The Magic Initiate feat only grants you 1 first level spell and 2 cantrips.

[Biggstick]

It'd be cool if the OP collected all this information in the first post. As in each addition gets the OP to add to the "built" character, and new posters can see what has already been done with the character when they join the thread rather then having to dig for each part throughout the thread.

[Ruslan]

Status so far, as of post #17

Variant Human Cleric of Trickery Level 1, Chaotic Neutral
Background: Noble, variant Knight
Trait: I like pie, and will never refuse a piece!
Ideal: The world should be full of beutifull things, like me! so I HAVE to leave statues of my face in every town i pass by
Bond: I am absolutely loyal to my house and family.
Flaw: I consider my skills better than those that others possess, and will never pass up an opportunity to brag.

Str: 8
Dex: 14
Con: 10
Int: 14
Wis: 16
Cha: 12

Feat: Magic Initiate Bard (Vicious Mockery, Friends, Charm Person)

Skills: Sleight of Hand, Religion, Insight, History, Persuasion

Cleric Cantrips known: Sacred Flame, Guidance, Thaumaturgy

OP also updated

[2D8HP]

I don't pretend to have the rules mastery to help with the "build", but I notice that the PC lacks something that helps with role-playing.
A name.
Fortunately in another thread a playgrounders has kindly supplied one:


*Just because Talisker Storm (https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/19204/talisker-storm) sounds completely like a cliche fantasy hero doesn't mean I should name all my pseudonyms after whiskies.
Your welcome.

[Ruslan]

Lol thanks. Talisker Storm it is :smallbiggrin:

[MintyNinja]

#11

Cleric 2.
No actual options here but let's get Sir Storm some Channel Divinity effects.

[PapaQuackers]

#12

1 Level Arcane Trickster Rogue

Expertise In Sleight of Hand and Thieves Tools

And proficiency in stealth

[CaptAl]

#13

2nd level of Rogue picking up cunning action.

[clash]

#14 Cleric 2/Rogue 3

For Mage Hand trickery

[bid]

#15 Cleric 2/Rogue 4

Dex+2 (Dex16)


BTW, you cannot declare AT rogue at level 1, this choice is part of rogue 3.

[PapaQuackers]

My bad. I was thrown off by the cleric domain declaration.

[Corran]

I don't pretend to have the rules mastery to help with the "build", but I notice that the PC lacks something that helps with role-playing.
A name.
Fortunately in another thread a playgrounders has kindly supplied one:

Your welcome.
Yeah, I agree that we should add a name, though I would suggest that for every such character we make after this one, we leave the name for last, after we have the full picture of this character. So the name would be picked after the 20th level. Just a suggestion.

Variant Human Cleric of Trickery Level 1, Chaotic Neutral
Background: Noble, variant Knight
Trait: I like pie, and will never refuse a piece!
Ideal: The world should be full of beutifull things, like me! so I HAVE to leave statues of my face in every town i pass by
Bond: I am absolutely loyal to my house and family.
Flaw: I consider my skills better than those that others possess, and will never pass up an opportunity to brag.

This character is setting up the greatest practical joke ever concieved. S/he is going to travel the world, and try to make a name for himself wherever s/he goes, through his exploits. People will praise him and stories will be told about the hero who saved their village/town/community, and then left towards an unknwon destination, asking only in return to make/preserve his statue and telling the tale of his exploits. Then he travels somewhere else where he performs a similar exploit, though this time under a competely different guise, telling of how he was inspired by a tale of a hero that he heard (ie himself in the previous guise/guises), retelling this story and even augmenting it with impressive fake details, and again, before leaving for his next destination, he asks of the same thing as his sole reward, ie to preserve the stature of himself he just made and retell the tale. he more he levels up the more legendary his exploits will become, and as time passes the more such stories will have taken root in people's minds. His intention ideally would be, once these tales of heroes of extreme bravery and skill would be many and important enough, he would reveal (and prove somehow) to the world that he is the one behind all these stories.
Edit: The retainers are on it too.

Ofc, the life span of a human is not kind for this plan, but we can say that this whole thing is a secret family tradition. Not his parents, as they wouldnt have time to settle down and start a family if they were in this weird hero bussiness, but perhaps an uncle, who admired our character's free spirited nature, revealed to him this legacy and urged our character to take up on it and carry it on (this might go back quite a few geerations, so that uncle could have revealed that a cerain bunch of local legends we all in secret a handful of their ancestors (including the uncle himself). That plays well with the bond: I am absolutely loyal to my house and family.

Next step is to make the quick (time is of the essense for our human hero) creation of well detailed statues. For that, my aim is to include some transmutation magic, more specifically minor alchemy.


I am now thinking of a comic relief in all likelihood campaign, taking place long after this hero vanished. The ''hero'' did turn himself into a statue via strong transmutation magic that would allow him to stay ''alive'' while turned into flesh, having entrusted this secret to a seect few (perhaps the parents of the characters), and did that so that he could be awakened if there was a great peril that need to be fought (Austin Powers style). Now the characters only know that the 'hero' is actually one of these statues, and they have to find which one it is and bring him back to life. But each statue has a different facade, as it only corresponeded to the guise the hero had took on at that time, and no one knows which of all those (if any) was the hero's real face. Enter adventures while they travel from place to place, in order to find out more of that hero's exploits, perhaps make them go through similar trials and face similar dangers, thus finally ending into the conclusion that even if they dont manage to find and awaken this mythical hero figure, in order to face a seemingly impossible and unbeatable threat, they are the ones (not because of some prophesy or anything like that, rather just because little by little and through all their efforts they slowly became more and more like that legendary hero himself, whose tales and deeds were necessary in order to inspire them) that can actually do it. Hmmm.. I am rambling badly, perhaps I need to write work this on my own as this is not the place for sth like this, the thread inspired me though, even if this whole idea seems a bit childish...


Those statues wont just build themselves. We need some (transmutation) magic.
#16 Level 7: Wizard 1
Cantrips: Light, mending, prestidigitation
Spells: Comprehend languages, feather fall, jump, shield, tenser's floating disk, sleep.
Edit: Tried to pick spells and cantrips that can make an impression, so that is why I went with some very situationally good choices.

[Ruslan]

I believe we are missing Arcane Trickster spells and cantrips.

Spells: Silent Image, Charm Person, Disguise Self, Hideous Laughter
Cantrips: Minor Illusion, Mage Hand, Friends

OP updated. Carry on.

[DivisibleByZero]

Didn't want to post without adding anything, but since others are doing it.... You're supposed to have two personality traits.

[MasterMercury]

Didn't want to post without adding anything, but since others are doing it.... You're supposed to have two personality traits.

You don't have to. I think it's just a suggestion.

[MasterMercury]

Also,
#17 Level 8, WIZARD 2, transmutation
For minor alchemy.

How can we add wizard spells? Just say they found one?
EDIT: spells: Grease and Color Spray for amazingness.

[Ruslan]

Also,
#17 Level 8, WIZARD 2, transmutation
For minor alchemy.

How can we add wizard spells? Just say they found one?

As per rules, you add 2 spells to your Wizard spellbook whenever you advance to a new Wizard level.

[MasterMercury]

As per rules, you add 2 spells to your Wizard spellbook whenever you advance to a new Wizard level.

Thanks. Putting in the spells now.

[Tauguy628]

#18 level 9 wiz 3
Take spells suggestion and detect thoughts. We must make sure everyone is thinking good things about us and make them look foolish via suggestion if they aren't.:smalltongue:

[bid]

#19 level 10 wiz 4

Dex+2 (Dex18)

2nd spells: mirror image, magic mouth

[clash]

#20 Rogue level 5
2d6 sneak attack & uncanny dodge

[Asmotherion]

Warlock 1
Old One Patron
Eldritch Blast, Booming Blade as cantrips
Hex and Armor of Agathis as level 1 spells

[clash]

If I may interject, the character doesnt actually have enough charisma to multiclass into warlock

[EvilAnagram]

#21 Fighter 1
Dueling Fighting style, Second Wind

[Anonymouswizard]

So our classes are:
Cleric of Trickery 2/Arcane Trickster Rogue 4/Transmutation Wizard 4/Fighter 1?

As a suggestion maybe we don't adventure as part of a party, but solo modules several levels below ours.

Oh, and #22: Fighter 2, we need to get our 4th subclass (I recommend Eldritch Knight, we will have the slots of an 8th level character by level 13!).

[EvilAnagram]

So our classes are:
Cleric of Trickery 2/Arcane Trickster Rogue 4/Transmutation Wizard 4/Fighter 1?

As a suggestion maybe we don't adventure as part of a party, but solo modules several levels below ours.

Oh, and #22: Fighter 2, we need to get our 4th subclass (I recommend Eldritch Knight, we will have the slots of an 8th level character by level 13!).

I believe we're at Rogue 5.

[MintyNinja]

#23 Level 14: Wizard 5.
We need some bigger spells for this Legendary person. Haste, Tongues. He's a fast talker :smallbiggrin:

I'd like to point out that one more Wizard level gets us our Transmutation Stone.

Cleric (Trickery) 2 / Arcane Trickster 5 / Transmutation Wizard 5 / Fighter 2

[Ruslan]

#23 Level 15: Wizard 6.

Cleric (Trickery) 2 / Arcane Trickster 5 / Transmutation Wizard 6 / Fighter 2

New spells: Hypnotic Pattern, Major Image

[Tauguy628]

Fighter 3
Eldritch knight
Spells: booming blade, message, shield, magic missile, mage armor.

PS: we still need the level 4 wizard cantrip.

[MintyNinja]

Not allowed to post an update yet, but I noticed that we have Friends from two sources: Magic Initiate Bard and Arcane Trickster. We're running on Cantrips! *Cue mad laughter*

[bid]

#25 fighter 4

feat: warcaster

1st spell: alarm

[clash]

#26 fighter 5 extra attack

[Vorpalchicken]

#27 Wizard 7

Spells: Greater Invisibility, Banishment

[Tauguy628]

Fighter 6
Take +2 int (total 16)

If I mathed correctly, then we are done. (Cleric of trickery 2, Arcane trickster 5, Transmutation wizard 7, Eldritch knight 6)
Also for our two missing catrips (wiz 4 and AT doubled friends) may I suggest dancing lights and ray of frost.

[MintyNinja]

Yeah, that 6th Level of Fighter is Action #29. There was a miscount earlier and #23 was repeated, but unnoticed. So we're all accounted for. If the OP wants to collect up the character and bring him to the first post, that'd be pretty cool. What do the rest of us do now? Make up stories for this guy?

[clash]

Ya you have to wonder exactly how this would have role-played out to get those levels in that order.

[PapaQuackers]

Someone should either run these characters or at least turn them into an NPC for their campaigns.

[Ruslan]

Oh, I totally intend to - why do you think I made this game? :smallbiggrin:

[PapaQuackers]

Run or NPC?

[Anonymouswizard]

Run or NPC?

I don't run D&D but I'm stealing the concept for at least a rumour, probably an actual character, in the Fate game I plan to run (likely FAE for a handful of reasons).

[Tauguy628]

We could always try to do this again in order to somehow create a party for this guy who won't kill him within a day of meeting him out of sheer frustration.