Sabrina the Rogue

[KyleG]

Hi, with no experience previously building for tabletop I've been building a couple of characters to take to my first game next week. I'm not looking at the long term build just the start and wondering if i there is an angle unconsidered for any of them that might be worth consideration.

Sabrina (Boo) - Grew up on the streets as a pick pocket/thief/survivor but but adult life she had formed a reputation for being able to get audience with the right/wrong kind of people they were found dead. She hires herself out to anyone who can pay from shady government officials, rival mob bosses or the law when they need to gain access or information that require a personal touch. Showing off her dance moves (to drop some poison in a drink, or throw a throwing star at a distant target) shes not afraid to be visible or as she puts it 'hiding in plain sight'.
She has little tolerance for those who are outright intolerant of those who look different (she herself has multi coloured eyes, face burn?, fairly human looking air genasi?). Story: in a bar a young tiefling was told he wasn't welcome by another patron she stepped in front offered to buy the man a drink to defuse the situation. when he shoved her down too she was almost instantly back up behind him with a knife to his throat "i suggest you take the drink".

Rogue 8/15/13/8/12/15 (Do i need charisma this high? Shes happy being the centre of attention but not necessarily good at persuasion/intimidation - see story above. Perhaps more strength?

[hymer]

Rogue 8/15/13/8/12/15 (Do i need charisma this high? Shes happy being the centre of attention but not necessarily good at persuasion/intimidation - see story above. Perhaps more strength?

You don't need charisma to be any particular number. She sounds like she has at least a decent charisma, so I wouldn't drop it to 8 or 9, but anything from 10 and on up seems perfectly acceptable from a 'portrait of a person'-point of view.
The relatively low strength could be interpreted as her being a small woman; having grown up rather malnourished on the streets she never gained the heght or bulk she might have had, and her raw strength has suffered for it.

From a game perspective, you may want to take into account that a score of 15 is pretty much the same as 14. You want to avoid uneven scores in general - you have three, and they are your three highest ones to boot. If you don't have a specific plan for turning an uneven score into an even one later, go with one lower and get the same mechanical bonus in the 'here and now', as you say you want to focus on it anyway.

[KyleG]

You don't need charisma to be any particular number. She sounds like she has at least a decent charisma, so I wouldn't drop it to 8 or 9, but anything from 10 and on up seems perfectly acceptable from a 'portrait of a person'-point of view.
The relatively low strength could be interpreted as her being a small woman; having grown up rather malnourished on the streets she never gained the heght or bulk she might have had, and her raw strength has suffered for it.

From a game perspective, you may want to take into account that a score of 15 is pretty much the same as 14. You want to avoid uneven scores in general - you have three, and they are your three highest ones to boot. If you don't have a specific plan for turning an uneven score into an even one later, go with one lower and get the same mechanical bonus in the 'here and now', as you say you want to focus on it anyway.

Thanks for that. The human racial modifier actually reverses this and puts all the evens as unevens and the unevens up to evens..butmaybe shes not as weak as that suggests nor as charismatic as i thought
Rogue 10/15/13/8/12/14

[MThurston]

Thanks for that. The human racial modifier actually reverses this and puts all the evens as unevens and the unevens up to evens..butmaybe shes not as weak as that suggests nor as charismatic as i thought
Rogue 10/15/13/8/12/14

Also, are you building a level 1 character or a level 10 character.

Level 1 characters don't have a reputation. You have to build that up through roleplay.

If you are playing a level 10, then all is good.

Not sure if you are playing the opposite sex but it you you are, remeber to play as the opposite sex and not a man playing a woman. Motivation and interaction should be to the character being played.

[KyleG]

Also, are you buildings level 1 character o5 a level 10 character.

Level 1 characters don't have a reputation. You have to build that up through roleplay.

If you are playing a level 10, then all is good.

Level 1. The problem with that is we are building a backstory, a history for these characters. Its not like they werent something before joining the adventuring party they just have had a change of situation. In Boo's situation im thinking he face/reputation got around and she needs to lay low for a while so travelling with a party to a new playground. Which should also make things interesting shes used to a certain lifestyle and i can see her forgoing sleeping in barn with her companions for conning someone into giving them their bed/a bed. I can picture the others looking rough as guts and see her walk up to them clean and well slept and being like wtf.

[Jophiel]

Also, are you building a level 1 character or a level 10 character.

Level 1 characters don't have a reputation. You have to build that up through roleplay.
I wouldn't go that far. You won't have a national or regional reputation but you might be known in your neighborhood or relatively small circle. There's backgrounds for things like former soldier or nobleperson; it wouldn't be weird to have some people who've heard of you. Same for a guild artisan, entertainer or even a criminal or charlatan depending on who you're asking.

Even a level one character is more "special" than your average fellow on the street (and you almost certainly have better stats) so it seems reasonable that you could be known as the go-to person at your local shady tavern. In fact, the process of becoming that person is quite possibly how you gained the initial skills of a level one rogue.

[Unoriginal]

At lvl 1 you're basically twice as tough as your average Guard or Bandit, slightly stronger than a Goblin raider or an Apprentice Wizard, and much weaker than your typical Veteran or Knight.

You are noteworthy among newbies, and a proper adventurer, but you're not the caliber of "king wants you personally on this job". Well, not for your skills by themselves, at least.

[CTurbo]

I would start, after racials, 8 Str, 16 Dex, 16 Con, 8 Int, 12 Wis, 14 Cha, or 8 Str, 16 Dex, 14 Con, 8 Int, 14 Wis, 14 Cha and that is with point buy.

If you have to use the standard array, I'd still start 16 Dex, 14 Con no matter what.

[MilkmanDanimal]

High Charisma doesn't mean you have to be the center of attention; you could easily have a wallflower who avoids being noticed (very much a Rogue thing), and manages to be an excellent liar if she has to. If you're starting at level 1, you should think about what subclass you might want to be; CHA for Swashbuckler for a melee focus, Inquisitive is WIS, INT for Arcane Trickster/Mastermind. None of those are a necessary paths as you can be a CHA-focused Thief/Assassin/Scout, but, if one of the subclasses has particular appeal, there's a way to prioritize a stat.

[MThurston]

Level 1. The problem with that is we are building a backstory, a history for these characters. Its not like they werent something before joining the adventuring party they just have had a change of situation. In Boo's situation im thinking he face/reputation got around and she needs to lay low for a while so travelling with a party to a new playground. Which should also make things interesting shes used to a certain lifestyle and i can see her forgoing sleeping in barn with her companions for conning someone into giving them their bed/a bed. I can picture the others looking rough as guts and see her walk up to them clean and well slept and being like wtf.

You are building a back story for a level one character.

For example: Me playing a fighter that killed 10,000 solders in the Battle of Big Rock, isn't a good backstory.

The first part of your back ground is great. Being a mover and a shaker in a city however is not. Level 1 characters don't have the clout to back that info up.

For example. I want to set up a meeting between two mob bosses.

DM: Ok roll a 25+ for having no contacts and just asking them to come talk to you.

Character: My persuasion is +4.

DM: Roll a 20.

You can't build in clout. It has to be earned through roll play.

I played in a first day campaign game and someone was playing a 1st level Captain of the Guard. Unrealistic and I didn't come back to that game.

[Maelynn]

Level 1 characters don't have a reputation.

Level 1 characters don't have the clout to back that info up.

Nonsense, of course a level 1 can have a reputation. Just because they gained their first level in a specific class doesn't mean they didn't have a life before then. They could've built up a reputation just by being a guard/temple aid/messenger/conman/merchant for several years, and then at a later age decide to take up a life of adventuring and start out as class x.

Not every thief is a Rogue. Not every guard is a Fighter. Hell, even an NPC/commoner can build up a reputation, or have a life, before they decide to pick up a level in a certain class.

An example. The High Priest of a large and influential Temple in the capital city, a well-respected man in his forties, can suddenly wake up one day and receive a calling from his deity - who tells him they want him to become their Paladin. He'll be a level 1 Paladin, but he most definitely has a reputation built on his position as the leader of his temple for several years. He'll be well known for his charity work and support of the downtrodden, not just in his own city but also in the surrounding areas.

[Jophiel]

I think the background is fine, provided the scope is limited:

Grew up on the streets as a pick pocket/thief/survivor but but adult life she had formed a reputation for being able to get audience with the right/wrong kind of people they were found dead. She hires herself out to anyone who can pay from shady government officials, rival mob bosses or the law when they need to gain access or information that require a personal touch.
On the streets, etc doesn't have to be Waterdeep. Say it was a mid-sized town/port that's large enough to have a shady district but not a royal metropolis. "Shady government officials" can be low level councilmen or other bureaucrats as opposed to the evil Chancellor. Likewise, "mob bosses" could know her well enough to use her when they don't want to be directly implicated but aren't looking for some high ranking assassin. To them she's a useful patsy -- gets the (relatively low ranking) work done but they wouldn't be heartbroken if she wound up floating in the harbor. "The law" uses standard criminals as informants all the time. Go talk to the cops and I'm sure there's people they "know" who aren't master hitmen or cat burglars.

Keeping it to "She was known in her district of town as someone you could hire (for relatively minor crimes or muscle work) and could get the job done or would tell you what you need to know for a few gold until she finally crossed the wrong people and figured it was time to move" is fine. So long as you're not claiming that you were the most renown spy/assassin in the land with kings and high priests begging for your services, go for it.

[Dr. Cliché]

I'm disappointed that you didn't name this thread 'Sabrina the Teenage Rogue'. :smallwink:

[Unoriginal]

More specifically, some backgrounds such as Folk Hero DO give you a reputation. And Criminal or others can give you contacts.

Having a lvl 1 Captain of the Guard isn't that outlandish when you know a good share of them are represented by the Noble NPC statblock. You don't need to be an uber badass to have a rank.



Thing is, you also have to acknowledge you're not an uber badass in your backstory. You're a Folk Hero, maybe, but you didn't kill 500 people by charging at them or a Balor with a toothpick.

The Xanathar's has a table for people who went on an adventure before being lvl 1. Most of the results are about how you've been harmed.

[Kadesh]

Not being funny, but why are you so fussed about feedback on your first (4?) characters when you've not even played yet? Didn't have a clue what I was doing in 3.5e and built a Monk with Knowledge Religion as my first character. It was awful and I had incredible fun.

Just chill and enjoy the game.

[Jophiel]

Not being funny, but why are you so fussed about feedback on your first (4?) characters when you've not even played yet?
He wasn't really asking for build info so I basically assumed he's just excited and saying "what do you guys think about this?"

Or maybe he was worried we'd tell him that his stats were horrible and playing a rogue was the worst decision ever (neither being the case).

[Kadesh]

He wasn't really asking for build info so I basically assumed he's just excited and saying "what do you guys think about this?"

Or maybe he was worried we'd tell him that his stats were horrible and playing a rogue was the worst decision ever (neither being the case).

You can have fun with the worst class in the game and the intentionally make it worse in order to make your own flavour, while you can have no fun playing the most powerful.

But making 4 (?) Threads for characters in a game that you've never even played? This isn't an interview for an Ivy League/Oxbridge scholarship, it's chilling out having a few beers and rolling dice to a story.

That's a bit overkill.

[Jophiel]

But making 4 (?) Threads for characters in a game that you've never even played? [...]
That's a bit overkill.
Agreed there. I hadn't really noticed the other threads until you said it and I went looking.

[Hooligan]

she herself has multi coloured eyes,

Like Kadesh said, chill out and just have fun.....and no characters with multi-colored eyes and katanas, they are a terrible cliche.

[KyleG]

Fair call all. Im very much an over thinker.

So im better off choosing a background and then tweaking it to personalise it but keep it low key. That seems fair.

Sorry for the spam characters.

As for Sabrina...lol i actually hadnt even considered the witch it was just her name (well Boo for some reason) since she first popped into my brain.

Cheers All.