Quixotic1
2023-11-09, 02:58 PM
Some basic info: the setting is very wacky, light-hearted and goofy. The three characters are a robot from a spaceship that crash-landed on this world, a Jersey Shore-esque bro who gained arcane powers when he tried to do a keg-stand with pure mana and a knight errant who happens to be a pond's worth of frogs fused together into the rough shape of a humanoid. They're all level 3.
They will be breaking into the adventuring business in Dungeontown--one part sprawling, labyrinthine underground complex, one part tourist trap.
Since there are only three of them, I figured I'd include a hireling NPC to hold torches, carry gear and help out here and there. And drop a little exposition and offer hints if needed; this game actually has a lot of political intrigue and stuff, but it's framed like a generic dungeon-crawl in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way.
I bought ability score, assigned racial traits and slapped on some class features and equipment. He is built to be easy to run and helpful to have around, not to do much on his own.
I am also not overly worried about precise language or every little potential for abuse; I'm fine adjudicating in the moment and leaving things open to interpretation, as are my players.
This little guy has five key elements:
1. He is unaffected by encumbrance due to equipment weight.
2. The Archery fighting style and a combination crossbow-slingshot-tiny catapult that is his primary weapon and also shoots potions.
3. Cunning Action, as the rogue feature of the same name.
4. A sticky hand, like the ones you get in those quarters vending machines, only really big. It lets him take the Help action from up to 20ft away.
5. Encourage, an ability that allows him to add +1d4 to an ally's next d20 roll as an action (sort of a cross between the Guidance cantrip and the Bard's Inspire feature. Action to use, range of 20ft, no specific time limit but you can only have one on someone at a time)
He had less points to buy his ability scores than the PCs (I believe he's rocking 11, 14, 15, 8, 12, 11) and his racial traits are all just static bonuses, nothing conditional or expendable.
I'm mostly curious what people might think about his set-up and if it feels useless, way too crazy-good, etc., and what they'd add, drop or change.
I am a little concerned that he's funny and engaging enough to take too much of the spotlight from the PCs, but I need him to fit in, and I feel like this problem would be even more of an issue if he was filling the role of straight man, the Abbott to the PCs' collective Costellos.
They will be breaking into the adventuring business in Dungeontown--one part sprawling, labyrinthine underground complex, one part tourist trap.
Since there are only three of them, I figured I'd include a hireling NPC to hold torches, carry gear and help out here and there. And drop a little exposition and offer hints if needed; this game actually has a lot of political intrigue and stuff, but it's framed like a generic dungeon-crawl in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way.
I bought ability score, assigned racial traits and slapped on some class features and equipment. He is built to be easy to run and helpful to have around, not to do much on his own.
I am also not overly worried about precise language or every little potential for abuse; I'm fine adjudicating in the moment and leaving things open to interpretation, as are my players.
This little guy has five key elements:
1. He is unaffected by encumbrance due to equipment weight.
2. The Archery fighting style and a combination crossbow-slingshot-tiny catapult that is his primary weapon and also shoots potions.
3. Cunning Action, as the rogue feature of the same name.
4. A sticky hand, like the ones you get in those quarters vending machines, only really big. It lets him take the Help action from up to 20ft away.
5. Encourage, an ability that allows him to add +1d4 to an ally's next d20 roll as an action (sort of a cross between the Guidance cantrip and the Bard's Inspire feature. Action to use, range of 20ft, no specific time limit but you can only have one on someone at a time)
He had less points to buy his ability scores than the PCs (I believe he's rocking 11, 14, 15, 8, 12, 11) and his racial traits are all just static bonuses, nothing conditional or expendable.
I'm mostly curious what people might think about his set-up and if it feels useless, way too crazy-good, etc., and what they'd add, drop or change.
I am a little concerned that he's funny and engaging enough to take too much of the spotlight from the PCs, but I need him to fit in, and I feel like this problem would be even more of an issue if he was filling the role of straight man, the Abbott to the PCs' collective Costellos.