Role play heavy game

[Lioslaith]

Is anyone else itching for a role play heavy game? I'd like to play in one that is reasonably high level, system is mostly inconsequential, as long as its a d20 based one. I can toss out some ideas but don't have anything specific in mind.

[WindStruck]

Possibly interested in playing. Any particular themes or plots you were thinking of?

[Lioslaith]

I just want to get into the actual role playing aspect of a particular game versus the number crunching that typically goes on.

[Dusk Raven]

Roleplay-heavy is the goal I've set for my own campaign. But I assume you're wanting something different than that.

As far as d20 systems go... well, 3.5 is pretty much always going to be crunchy with numbers, so probably not that. 5e, or a 5e variant?

[dantiesilva]

I am posting potential interest as a player depending on system.

[TheAlmightyKue]

I would love a heavy Roleplay game. Yeah we all need to deal with some form of Crunch but I get what you mean. 3.5 nd PF are going to have a lot of crunching to build.

[Lioslaith]

Roleplay-heavy is the goal I've set for my own campaign. But I assume you're wanting something different than that.

As far as d20 systems go... well, 3.5 is pretty much always going to be crunchy with numbers, so probably not that. 5e, or a 5e variant?

Personally I like 5e but people seem to dislike it here. I could see several scenarios playing out, heck could even be modern.

I guess mainly I’m looking for a system I know well enough to not have to think about while I role play if that makes sense.

Also @Duskraven I don’t guess I’m familiar enough with your game to say if it is or isn’t what I’m looking for.

[JayDomK]

I am posting potential interest as a player depending on system.

Seconded, me too.

[Dusk Raven]

Personally I like 5e but people seem to dislike it here. I could see several scenarios playing out, heck could even be modern.

I guess mainly I’m looking for a system I know well enough to not have to think about while I role play if that makes sense.

Also @Duskraven I don’t guess I’m familiar enough with your game to say if it is or isn’t what I’m looking for.

I wouldn't say it's uppopular. I see 5e games crop up on a regular basis. It's not as popular as 3.5 but even 3.5 games are a minority of the threads that get started here.

As for my own game, the thread's been up for a couple months, (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?663392-It-s-Actually-Our-Galaxy-(Star-Wars-D-amp-D-5e-Custom-Setting-Potentially-Lore-Heavy)) but it uses a variant of 5e, so you might not be familiar with it in that sense. A good deal of roleplay - or at the very least, player investment - is something I'm hoping for, though.

[agignac]

I'd be willing to run one of the higher level heists from 5e's Keys from the Golden Vault. I'm currently running the first level chapter, and it's been great for roleplay, both with NPCs and each other. They're all heists, so more sneaking and interacting with the world rather than fighting, though fights can/do happen, depending on the team's strategy.

We could try one chapter, and if it's going well, carry on with it. Would that scratch the itch?

[Lentrax]

I'd potentiallly be interested, pending story and 16.

[Lioslaith]

I'd be willing to run one of the higher level heists from 5e's Keys from the Golden Vault. I'm currently running the first level chapter, and it's been great for roleplay, both with NPCs and each other. They're all heists, so more sneaking and interacting with the world rather than fighting, though fights can/do happen, depending on the team's strategy.

We could try one chapter, and if it's going well, carry on with it. Would that scratch the itch?

I’d certainly be willing to give it a try and see how it goes.

[Dr.Samurai]

I'd be willing to run one of the higher level heists from 5e's Keys from the Golden Vault. I'm currently running the first level chapter, and it's been great for roleplay, both with NPCs and each other. They're all heists, so more sneaking and interacting with the world rather than fighting, though fights can/do happen, depending on the team's strategy.

We could try one chapter, and if it's going well, carry on with it. Would that scratch the itch?
I'd be down for something like that.

[Lioslaith]

That goes to what, 11th level? I could cook up an inquisitive rogue for that level.

[agignac]

Here's the big 16 for what I'm proposing. If we have more than 7 applicants, then characters will be vetted, it won't be first come, first serve.

1. What game system are you running --> D&D 5e

2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be --> Keys from the Golden Vault, a bit modified

3. How many Players are you looking for? Probably 6-7 to account for initial attrition. Hopefully end with 4-5

4. What's the gaming medium? OOTS forum with a discord server for out of character stuff.

5. What is the characters' starting status? Level 9

6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with? Normal starting equipment, 700gp, one common and one uncommon magic item.

7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? No Echo Knights.

8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Anything from PHB, XGtE, TCoE, and FToD. Other requests considered on a case by case basis.

9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points? Standard Array

10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so? I rarely pay attention to it.

11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it? Multi classing is fine.

12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Roll using the forum dice roller.

13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.

***House Rules***
Death saves do not reset until after a short or long restInspiration
You can have up to 2 inspiration points. They cannot be used on the same roll. You can use inspiration to:
* Roll attacks, skills, and saving throws with advantage, after you see the results of your first roll.
* Add 1d6 to the results of a d20 roll, after you see the results of your first roll.
*Add 1d4 to a damage roll.
* "I have a thing for that." You have a mundane item in your stuff that could help with the current situation. You must spend the gold on it right then, and you can "find" it in your pack. After all, I find random s@+$ in my purse all the time, never mind an adventuring pack.
*Give it to a friend! Any time, for any reason.
Crit 20: You can turn any attack into a critical hit by gaining 2 levels of exhaustion.
Critical damage: Instead of rolling twice, take the damage you rolled, and add it to max damage. For example, if your dagger does 1d4+2 and you roll a 1, you do 1+2+4=7 damage.
Smarty pants: You can learn one extra language or tool proficiency for every point of your INT bonus.

14. Is a character background required? Enough that your character has a motivation for working with the group. The more you give me, the more I'll use.

15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above? This adventure is RP and puzzle based.

16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters? See question 8

Bonus 17: This will be an LGBTQ2+ friendly game, no sexual assault permitted in backgrounds or RP. This is a safe space.

[Lioslaith]

So, first request, Pallid Elf from Explorers guide to Wildemount?

[agignac]

So, first request, Pallid Elf from Explorers guide to Wildemount?

Hmmm ... Incisive Self is pretty powerful in this type of game. But I'll allow it.

[Lioslaith]

Hmmm ... Incisive Self is pretty powerful in this type of game. But I'll allow it.

Awesome, thank you.

[dantiesilva]

Have fun everyone. 5e isn't my thing but I hope you all have fun.

[Lentrax]

Not sure what I would want to go with. Possibly a Cleric, maybe a Bard. Definitely a Tiefling.

[ProgressPaladin]

I’d like to post interest.

[JNAProductions]

Posting potential interest.

[agignac]

I'll keep updating this table as we grow our interest list. Let me know if you'd like to be on it.



Player
Character name
Race/class


Lioslaith

Pallid Elf Inquisitor Rogue?


Progress Paladin

Changeling Whsipers Bard?


Lentrax

Tiefling


Auranghzeb
Tedras (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2559789)
Human battlemaster fighter?


Dr. Samerai




JNA Productions
Leaf (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2882457)
Half-elf Moon Druid


Dusk Raven




JayDomK?




TheAlmightyKue?








[/tr]

[Dusk Raven]

Hmm... I'll have to think about my list of character concepts and figure out which of them would do well in a heist-style adventure. Beyond that, I'm interested.

[ProgressPaladin]

Thinking maybe a whispers bard

[Lioslaith]

Anyone interested in tying stories together? I could see my elf having a budding love interest, a long established one, a sibling or adopted sibling he’s over protective of, ideally both? Open to all sorts of options.

Beyond that Fenris will be a fairly brooding, self centered rogue. Doesn’t seem all that interested in the group but is fiercely loyal to them nonetheless.

Also open to ideas.

[WindStruck]

No thanks, but have fun everyone who is still interested.

[ProgressPaladin]

Would Changeling be fine? I can see how that might be op.

[Auranghzeb]

Hum. That's one adventure I'd like to try. I'm thinking about a straight up battlemaster fighter, probably human, confident and dashing sword for hire and a love for archeology and dungeon delving.

[agignac]

Would Changeling be fine? I can see how that might be op. I can work with that.

[Auranghzeb]

Here's my WIP.

Tedras (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2559789)
Tedras gimmick is to be dashing with a sword, persuasive with words, and spend like a high roller when money is good. I'll use Battlemaster for control and support more than damage. But Tedras can pack a punch if needed.

[JNAProductions]

What's the general pitch for Keys From The Golden Vault?
Is there a player's guide available online or anything?

I want to make sure I make an appropriate character.

[agignac]

What's the general pitch for Keys From The Golden Vault?
Is there a player's guide available online or anything?

I want to make sure I make an appropriate character.

The Golden Vault is a secretive organization committed to righting moral wrongs. Membership and activities are almost impossible for outsiders to track. They are known to support virtuous underdogs and handle delicate situations that local authorites won't touch. Their mottos is "Do good, no matter the cost." Missions are often illegal, but they always support a just, moral cause.

Missions / heists take place in the forgotten realms, sometimes between planes.

Each mission is written so that combat can be avoided if you want, and stealth is generally preferable. Like any good heist, there will be a lot of preparing for the mission, exploring the surroundings, and talking to NPCs.

[Lioslaith]

I think the general idea is heist. So just think Oceans 11 or whatever your favorite heist movie is.

Also, apologies I wasn’t trying to ninja the response. Just wasn’t sure how often you checked the forums. Excellent synopsis btw.

Hit points as typical in 5E?

[JNAProductions]

Leaf (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2882457) is made!

Born to half-elven parents, Leaf was the eighth of eight kids. Her parents worked their butts off to provide for everyone, as did the elder siblings, but their success was limited. As such, Leaf spent a lot of time wandering the city, unsupervised. She got into her fair share of trouble with the law-harmless things, mostly. Pranks and practical jokes, minor thievery (usually food), and the time she discovered her magic by summoning a wolf to attack a bully. (He lived, and wasn't even seriously injured, but it sure scared the crap out of him.)

It was after this incident that her parents were able to do something-it helped that they no longer had all eight kids around, the elder few having moved out and found lives elsewhere. They contacted the Emerald Enclave, informing them of Leaf's talent with summoning, and made clear to her that she was to listen to them, learn from them, and behave!

Leaf agreed. At first. The good behavior lasted about a month, before she started sneaking out again. But she did learn quite a bit about how to use her own magic. She didn't know it, but the Enclave considered her a prodigy, with how fast she was able to learn. When she turned 20, she finally returned home, to find her parents doing much better. Without all the kids needing to be fed, they actually made decent enough coin, and were able to live simple, but peaceful, lives. Leaf's siblings occasionally visited, and everyone was doing okay.

But, after her time with the Enclave and her use of magic, Leaf was not content to simply stay home. She wandered, helping people in need and doing adventurer-type things. It was during this period when she was contacted by the Golden Vault, offering her a mission that was far more impactful than the little tasks she had been doing.
She didn't take much convincing to join in.

[Lioslaith]

I hadn’t realized how tedious it is to make a character without dnd beyond. lol

[Dusk Raven]

No Echo Knights.

Well, there goes one concept. A concept that admittedly doesn't quite adhere to the intended fluff - the idea was a character with an "imaginary friend" who turned out to be sort of real. But, I have more ideas!


The Golden Vault is a secretive organization committed to righting moral wrongs. Membership and activities are almost impossible for outsiders to track. They are known to support virtuous underdogs and handle delicate situations that local authorites won't touch. Their mottos is "Do good, no matter the cost." Missions are often illegal, but they always support a just, moral cause.

...That reminds me so much of something from my own work that I might just import a character from there. The problem being that most of them don't make for good D&D characters on account of using a very different magic system.

Even so, that gives me a lot of concepts. Tempted to list them... especially since, given these are roleplaying concepts I'm choosing between, talking about them might help me decide which I actually want to play.

[agignac]

Yes - typical hit points. Full at first level, then half+1 moving forward.

We have some good candidates so far. I'm hoping to get enough on this thread, but if necessary I'll open up a separate recruitment thread to garner more notice.




Player
Character name
Race/class


Lioslaith
Fenris (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2882003)
Pallid Elf Inquisitor Rogue


Progress Paladin

Changeling Whsipers Bard?


Auranghzeb
Tedras (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2559789)
Human battlemaster fighter?


JNA Productions
Leaf (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2882457)
Half-elf Moon Druid


samduke
Elise (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2868054)
Kender beastmaster ranger


Infernally Clay

Hexblade warlock?


Archemist

Rock gnome cleric?


Dusk Raven



[/tr]

[samduke]

Well I will drop a prospective pending interest, and request the race Kender from Dragonlance, pending that will decide things

[agignac]

Well I will drop a prospective pending interest, and request the race Kender from Dragonlance, pending that will decide things

Sure, kender looks good.

[Auranghzeb]

Do we need to post on the other thread?

[Lioslaith]

Here is my rogue, close to done I think https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2882003

[samduke]

@ agignac (GM)

I am looking at Kender
Background Outlander
Ranger, beastmaster subclass

using the Spirit of the Land companion from Tasha's and the Watchers dark gift from VRGtR.

But I wanted to see if you were allowing the (Optional) things

also
can I trade out a musical instrument prof. for a tool prof. or a language?
can I sell items gained from background and class starting equipment, if so do I get full value or some other ?

edited

[agignac]

Do we need to post on the other thread?

Nope, my hope was to direct people here.

[agignac]

@ agignac (GM)

I am looking at Kender
Background Outlander
Ranger, beastmaster subclass

using the Spirit of the Land companion from Tasha's and the Watchers dark gift from VRGtR.

But I wanted to see if you were allowing the (Optional) things

also
can I trade out a musical instrument prof. for a tool prof. or a language?
can I sell items gained from background and class starting equipment, if so do I get full value or some other ?

edited

I'm going to veto any material from VRGtR.
Yes to the prof. trades. You can "sell" starting equipment at full value. Check out my house rules in the big 16 for the "smarty pants" rules, which also gives extra languages.

[Infernally Clay]

Then I shall repost here...

I will make... A Hexblade Warlock. They rarely seem to get played at high levels because they're treated explicitly as a dip class but 9th level is when they get their fifth level spells slots so that should be really fun.

I'm thinking a master swordsman who died unfulfilled and unsatisfied by the opponents they faced in life so they were offered an opportunity to be resurrected and challenge greater enemies and they took it, unaware that there is a higher price to be paid.

[samduke]

I'm going to veto any material from VRGtR.
Yes to the prof. trades. You can "sell" starting equipment at full value. Check out my house rules in the big 16 for the "smarty pants" rules, which also gives extra languages.

okay but you did not exactly answer this - are you allowing the (Optional) things

example with ranger is - Deft Explorer (Optional), Favored Foe (Optional)

[agignac]

okay but you did not exactly answer this - are you allowing the (Optional) things

example with ranger is - Deft Explorer (Optional), Favored Foe (Optional)

Apologies, I misunderstood. All the optional class features and content from TCoE is permitted.

[samduke]

Apologies, I misunderstood. All the optional class features and content from TCoE is permitted.

all good.

Here is Elise (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2868054) - should be complete - backstory on sheet

[Archemist]

Echoing the repost from the other recruitment thread - I'm working on a rock gnome cleric, will try to finish up a sheet in the next day or so.

[agignac]

Player
Character name
Race/class


Lioslaith
Fenris (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2882003)
Pallid Elf Inquisitor Rogue


Progress Paladin

Changeling Whsipers Bard?


Auranghzeb
Tedras (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2559789)
Human battlemaster fighter?


JNA Productions
Leaf (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2882457)
Half-elf Moon Druid


samduke
Elise (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GJHPLcB76eOu0kWnxZ7uEWioix01_ni2Sxyi0FH1aE8/edit#gid=359784640)
Kender beastmaster ranger


Infernally Clay
Rafe (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2882744)
Hexblade warlock?


Archemist
Siobhan (https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/119418536/u3Nu7P)
Rock gnome cleric


Dusk Raven




the hellbug
Ennius (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2883242)
Half-elf warlock

[/tr]


We've got some solid applications so far. I'll give people until Sunday night (GMZ-8), and make decisions and get started on Monday.

[Auranghzeb]

Tedras is finished. I just added a rogue level, but Tedras is more the Gambling-Forging type of rogue than the stealthy kind. The only decision is the uncommon object: right now I have an immovable rod, but I may change it.

[JNAProductions]

Yay! Solidity!

Quick question, Agignac: How do you rule wildshape and held objects?

As an example, from a past game of mine. The party was raiding a mage's study, and they needed to get a lot of documents fast. One of the PCs lifted the desk, wildshaped into... An elk? Something quadrupedal, melding the desk into the animal form and fleeing the scene. Then, when wildshape was over, they just dropped the desk where they were.

[agignac]

Yay! Solidity!

Quick question, Agignac: How do you rule wildshape and held objects?

As an example, from a past game of mine. The party was raiding a mage's study, and they needed to get a lot of documents fast. One of the PCs lifted the desk, wildshaped into... An elk? Something quadrupedal, melding the desk into the animal form and fleeing the scene. Then, when wildshape was over, they just dropped the desk where they were.
That is funny. But now how I rule it. Items worn are melded into the animal form. Items held will be dropped unless the new form has a grasping limb that can also hold it (monkey, racoon, elephant trunk etc).

[JNAProductions]

That is funny. But now how I rule it. Items worn are melded into the animal form. Items held will be dropped unless the new form has a grasping limb that can also hold it (monkey, racoon, elephant trunk etc).

Fair enough. Glad to have that established up front. :)

[The Hellbug]

Interested. I think I'll be putting together some sort of nerd (tome) warlock.

[Infernally Clay]

https://i.ibb.co/cDT71rL/1708527361-2.jpg
Rafe Haugen (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2882744)
Dhampir Hexblade Warlock 9
AC: 19 | HP: 75/75 | Initiative: +2
STR: -1 | DEX: +2 | CON: +3 | INT: +1 | WIS: +4 | CHA: +8

Spell Slots: 5th: 2/2

Hexblade Curse: 1/1
Accursed Spectre: 1/1
Ghostly Gaze: 1/1

Active Effects: None
Concentrating: None
Conditions: None




I present... Rafe Haugen.

In life he was a master swordsman who hunted bounties like a cat playing with a mouse, ever eager to face a worthy opponent against whom he could really enjoy dueling. One day, however, he died. Not in battle to a superior foe but to an underhanded trick only a coward would employ. He was fatally poisoned by his current quarry, who had somehow gotten wind that Rafe was coming for him.

And so Rafe died and he was angry about it. Not because he died, which is something he knew would happen one way or another, but because he was unfulfilled and unsatisfied. Both with the method of his demise and the lack of worthy opponents he had faced in life. He wanted more, to reach ever greater heights in the only way he knew how - crossing weapons with the best warriors to ever live.

Then the offer came. Be resurrected and seek the satisfaction that he had been robbed of. Rafe eagerly accepted the deal, unaware of the grave price that would be paid either by Rafe or those he fells in glorious battle.

[samduke]

We've got some solid applications so far. I'll give people until Sunday night (GMZ-8), and make decisions and get started on Monday.

sorry agignac, but I am having to find another location, ability to host a character sheet, something that is not MW.
if this puts you in a bind for being able to select me then I totally understand

[Archemist]

sorry agignac, but I am having to find another location, ability to host a character sheet, something that is not MW.
if this puts you in a bind for being able to select me then I totally understand

Apologies - I also hadn't seen where mythweavers was a requirement, and had been working on D&D beyond. It's not the end of the world for me to transfer the character over to MW but let me know if that's a must-have, yeah.

[JNAProductions]

Yeah. I use Myhtweavers because I like it, but Agignac hasn't stated where sheets must be hosted.
I would assume anything she can easily access and read is fine.

[Archemist]

I'll go ahead and post Siobhan Sullivan (https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/119418536/u3Nu7P), then - but let me know if there's any issue with the format.

Backstory:
Have you ever looked at the moon? Like REALLY looked at the moon? It's beautiful. Especially beautiful if you've lived most of your life underground and never seen it until your thirtieth birthday. It was a formative experience for young Siobhan. Made a refugee from her home by an incursion of drow and driders, she found herself separated from her family and lost on the surface. But emerging out into the night sky after the terrors of the Queen of Darkness' followers below... Siobhan was an instant convert to Selûne.

Nowadays, nearing eighty, Siobhan has found connection with others of her kind on the surface, sure, but hasn't settled down yet. She spent several years married to a forest gnome named Liam, but they parted ten years ago on good terms since he wanted kids and she didn't. Instead, she travels with her trusty mastiff, Clancy, and tries to do good wherever she goes. She often travels at night in the light of the moon. Eventually, Siobhan may return to see what remains of the village she grew up in, but she has decided that living in the past isn't for her.

Her items: Gloves of Ogre Power and Half-Plate of Gleaming (never gets dirty).

[agignac]

I don't care where the sheets are hosted. MW, D&DB, GoogleSheets, whatever is fine. @samduke, no worries, I've seen your sheet, so you're in the running.

The characters are looking great!

[samduke]

I don't care where the sheets are hosted. MW, D&DB, GoogleSheets, whatever is fine. @samduke, no worries, I've seen your sheet, so you're in the running.

The characters are looking great!

Well problem that sheet does not exist anymore. It will take me a day to re create it , I'm going to see if I can cobble a google sheet as im not a fan of dndb

[The Hellbug]

Alright, here's Ennius (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2883242) so far: half elf tome pact warlock of the archfey. He's definitely weight to be carried in a fight, but he is 1) an expert on magic and a variety of other topics, 2) fun at parties, and 3) generally a useful guy to have around. I kind of hate to add another warlock scooped from death by his patron (only mostly dead in Ennius's case), but they should be very different besides that shared experience.

Quick question: as a ritual caster, is there an amount of money I can pay to start with more spells in my Book of Ancient Secrets?

[Kvard51]

I’m going to try and complete an Aberrant Mind Sorcerer by the cut off tomorrow. Sounds like a fun game.

[samduke]

I don't care where the sheets are hosted. MW, D&DB, GoogleSheets, whatever is fine. @samduke, no worries, I've seen your sheet, so you're in the running.

The characters are looking great!

okay I think I have gotten all the information that is needed onto this google sheet, let me know if you need information

Elise (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GJHPLcB76eOu0kWnxZ7uEWioix01_ni2Sxyi0FH1aE8/edit?usp=sharing)

[Infernally Clay]

Alright, here's Ennius (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2883242) so far: half elf tome pact warlock of the archfey. He's definitely weight to be carried in a fight, but he is 1) an expert on magic and a variety of other topics, 2) fun at parties, and 3) generally a useful guy to have around. I kind of hate to add another warlock scooped from death by his patron (only mostly dead in Ennius's case), but they should be very different besides that shared experience.

Quick question: as a ritual caster, is there an amount of money I can pay to start with more spells in my Book of Ancient Secrets?

Well I changed a few things around just to make them a little more mechanically unique, mainly in the invocations department. They both had Ghostly Gaze and Sculptor of Flesh, so I swapped both out for Eldritch Smite and Agonising Blast to reflect that Rafe is more of a damage oriented Warlock with solid ranged options.

[Dusk Raven]

Got to be done by tonight, huh? Well.. doable in 5e. But I still need to figure out what concept I want to play.

One idea is an Aasimar Paladin - one totally devoted to the cause of good, to the point where she doesn't see herself as having free will - nor does she want it. Being able to choose evil has no value to her. She has a duty and she will do it. And that happens helping out with these heists.

The other is almost the opposite - someone who grew up in very rough conditions, in a place with poverty and violence so widespread that she's grown up without a sense of empathy or any real sense of right and wrong, and she doesn't shy away from evil. She does, however, have a need for family that has gone unfulfilled for too long, after her first crew was wiped out and the boss of the second betrayed her. She's fallen in with this particular group and is indebted to Golden Vault, who helped her out when they (and she) were unaware of her moral failings. She's extremely grateful to her new "family" and would do anything for them, but also knows on some level that she isn't quite up to their standards somehow, and doesn't know how to change that. Her teammates might, though.

...I think I'd have more fun with the second, and it's certainly a concept I've had for longer, but I don't know how I'd make her in 5e except as some bizzare Barbarian/Rogue hybrid, and I can't make that work with standard array. Might be able to make Swashbuckler or Scout Rogue alone work, or maybe just multiclass with Fighter.

[Lioslaith]

A couple of different rogue iterations might be fun.

[ProgressPaladin]

I have my mechanics ready, but I’m still working on the backstory.

[agignac]

Player
Character name
Race/class


Lioslaith
Fenris (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2882003)
Pallid Elf Inquisitor Rogue


Auranghzeb
Tedras (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2559789)
Human battlemaster fighter/rogue


JNA Productions
Leaf (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2882457)
Half-elf Moon Druid


samduke
Elise (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GJHPLcB76eOu0kWnxZ7uEWioix01_ni2Sxyi0FH1aE8/edit#gid=359784640)
Kender beastmaster ranger


Infernally Clay
Rafe (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2882744)
Dhampir Hexblade warlock


Archemist
Siobhan (https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/119418536/u3Nu7P)
Rock gnome cleric


Dusk Raven
Jane Doe (https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/119577283)
Human rogue fighter


the hellbug
Ennius (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2883242)
Half-elf warlock

[/tr]


We've got some great submissions, this will be a tough choice.

As of the cut-off, tonight I'm going to post here with a scene request for everybody, to help me choose wisely.

[Dusk Raven]

All right, still don't know the exact cutoff, but I do have a character sheet (https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/119577283) ready. I just need a name (difficult since I'm totally unfamiliar with Forgotten Realms)... and nonmagical equipment. For the magic items, though, I'm taking the Goggles of Night for uncommon and the Pole of Collapsing for common.

[The Hellbug]

Well I changed a few things around just to make them a little more mechanically unique, mainly in the invocations department. They both had Ghostly Gaze and Sculptor of Flesh, so I swapped both out for Eldritch Smite and Agonising Blast to reflect that Rafe is more of a damage oriented Warlock with solid ranged options.

We can talk about it if both our characters make it. There are some other invocations I had my eye on as well, and we could negotiate how to split those up if you're interested. Like I said, I'm not worried about them playing similarly; Ennius is a bit of an odd duck. Speaking of which, he's done!

[samduke]

[QUOTE=agignac;25970697

We've got some great submissions, this will be a tough choice.

As of the cut-off, tonight I'm going to post here with a scene request for everybody, to help me choose wisely.[/QUOTE]

Ate you going to give a scene topic , ie tavern, forest, ect or do you want what ever

[agignac]

Okay folks, time is up for new submissions. Everybody that sent in a character sheet is in the running.

Everybody, please submit the following 2-3 paragraph scene on this thread. The 8 of you are in your headquarters, relaxing and chatting. Please include the following. 1) a brief bit of description about your character. 2) a brief bit of description about the room (doesn't need to mesh with each other, you're not actually together yet) 3) tell another character about a near miss you had in the pass (however you choose to interpret that), and 4) ask them a question based on what you know about them.

I'd also like each of you to send me a DM with a list of which other characters you'd be most interested in playing with, and why (just a line or two, it's not an essay).

Thanks!!

EDIT: I've updated the table a few posts below with the 8 finalists.

[Auranghzeb]

I can't possibly post the paragraphs any time before evening US time today. Hope it's fine.

[Archemist]

In front of the guild hearth, Siobhan Sullivan leans back against her massive dog, who's stretched out on the floor to enjoy the warmth. Siobhan sits with her knees up, gripping a normal-sized mug of tea as though it were comically large. The others all have spots on the nicely-upholstered furniture, but she seems to prefer the stone floor.

She's a quiet gnome, very religious, and a bit naive. She's much better with animals than people. Which is odd, perhaps, since she's hardly young - she'd be an old woman if she were human. But she always has a smile, even when times are tough, and her skill as a healer has made her welcome in many places. Siobhan's appearance is certainly very ordinary: dark hair, a reddish sandstone skin, and grey eyes. She often goes around with a beret instead of a helmet with her shiny plate armor, in an effort to seem less threatening. Not that anyone is going to be intimidated by a 3'4" gnome, but she likes to show her face and finds helmets stuffy.

https://thrynnwiki.wdfiles.com/local--files/family/Hero%20screenshot.png

She sips her tea and continues her story: "So I could tell Clancy was afraid. He had his ears back and a soft growl going. I made sure he knew he was a good dog for alerting me. I took my shield, crept forwards, parted the brush with my sickle, and lo! A skunk!

"They're surprisingly un-smelly... until they're not, you know. Anyhow, I beat a quick retreat and we had a good laugh, me and Clancy."

Siobhan pauses for a moment and almost drifts off into her own thoughts, but then gives her head a little shake. She looks over at Tedras, and jokingly asks the tall, rakishly-charming half-elf, "How would you have handled that, I wonder! A skunk must be the worst enemy of someone who smells as nice as you always do."

[agignac]

I can't possibly post the paragraphs any time before evening US time today. Hope it's fine.

That's fine, I'll give folks about 48 hours.

[samduke]

Backstory
Elise a kender ranger whose black hair. With eyes as black as the midnight sky. she possesses a boundless curiosity and an unwavering sense of adventure. Her lithe frame moves with the grace of a dancer, and her keen senses are finely tuned to the whispers of the wilderness. Armed with a trusty bow slung across her back and a quiver of arrows at her side, she roams the lands with a determination to protect its beauty from any threat. Though her spirit is free as the wind, her loyalty to her companions and her sense of duty are as steadfast as the roots of the ancient oaks she called home.


Headquarters:
The headquarters room where Elise, finds herself engaged in discussion with seven others is a place of rustic charm and practicality, perfectly suited to accommodate their diverse group.

Located within the room exudes an atmosphere of warmth and camaraderie. Sunlight filters through large windows, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow upon the polished wooden floor. The walls are adorned with maps depicting the surrounding wilderness, marked with trails and points of interest discovered during their many adventures.

A crackling fireplace dominates one corner of the room, its comforting glow providing both light and warmth to the gathering. Overhead, wooden beams crisscross the ceiling, adorned with hanging lanterns that cast a soft, golden light upon the scene below.

In the center of the room, a large oak table serves as the focal point of their discussions. Carved with intricate patterns and symbols of nature, it bears the scars of countless meetings and strategy sessions. Around the table, sturdy wooden chairs provide seating for Elise and her companions, each one worn with the marks of frequent use.

As she tells one of them of her latest conquest

One fateful morning, as the sun painted the horizon with hues of gold and amber, I embarked on a routine scouting mission. Little did I know that this day would mark the beginning of a grand battle.

Deep within the dense foliage of the forest, I stumbled upon a clearing bathed in eerie moonlight. There, I beheld a sight that made my heart skip a beat a pack of fearsome wolves, their snarls echoing through the stillness of the night.

Instinct kicked in as I nocked an arrow and took aim. With a swift motion, I let it fly, the arrow finding its mark with deadly precision. But the wolves were relentless, charging at me with bared fangs and primal fury.

Ducking and weaving through the trees, I fought with the grace of a dancer and the ferocity of a lioness. My arrows sang through the air, finding their targets one by one until they were all dead.



if chosen please know that I write as much or as little as I think I need to convey what it is that the character might be doing at the moment

[JNAProductions]

Leaf settled into the chair, her tunic with embroidered flowers wrinkling a little as she did. She took the mug of cider she had just filled, and downed it in one fell swoop. "Man, this stuff is good,"
she said, eyeing the barrel of cider next to the other, more alcoholic beverage barrels. "Rafe, you want... Oh, right," she caught herself before she asked if the man who had the tastebuds of a rock wanted some cider. "Er, Rafe," she continued, standing up and heading towards him across the carpeted floor. "Did I ever tell you about the time with the Enclave that I almost burned down a forest?"

Rafe shook his head, turning from the weapons rack adorned with well-maintained, but simply made swords and hammers and axes, to face Leaf.

"Yeah... It was one heck of an embarrassing time. It's kinda why I stopped practicing pyromancy for a bit! So, I was working on my orisons, and I had made a little fire in a stone circle," she narrated, "and, once I had the fire, I was practicing shapes with it. You know, squares, circles, then more advanced things! Like little birds of fire, flitting around the fuel. And, me being me, I tried to push it further and further, until I made this HUGE dragon! Okay, maybe not huge huge," the five foot tall half-elf said with a chuckle, "but I wasn't even a teenager at that point. It looked big to me! And I was making it fly around the fire, fun and such, and then I tried to move it further away. The whole dragon and the fire it was based on exploded when I tried to push it that far, and the little circle of stones I had prepared was NOT enough."

Rafe leaned forward a little, accidentally looming over the short Leaf. She didn't care much, though-she knew Rafe was a friend, even with his menacing aura. "So I'm freaking out-desperately trying to put out the fires, and doing... Well, not the best, but it was progress. Just not enough. I'm tossing dirt and trying to stop it, but it just keeps going, and eventually, I realize the best way is to smother it with my own body. I leap onto the fire, and! Vines shoot out and catch me, before a small flood of water extinguishes the flame. I didn't notice, but Velguardr-I've told you about them before, right?-so Velguardr had followed me to make sure I didn't cause trouble. Thank the gods they did, because, well, fire. They change out of their animal shape, and I'm expecting a huge admonishing about responsibility and being careful and all that. But... All they said was 'You messed up. But you were trying your best to fix it. Just remember, you're never alone,' and left."

"That... You know, that left an impact. I stopped working on fire magic just to be safe, but they had a good point. My whole life up till then, I'd tried doing things on my own, and I usually succeeded! But... I had support. I had friends, I had family, I had support from the Enclave... I needed to work with them, not just on my own," Leaf said. "So... I guess the end of the story message is-thanks Rafe. You've been there for me too."

[Auranghzeb]

As the dice spins, Tedras knows how to make a dice spin, Tedras concentrates on a number.
Five, five, five Before spinning the dice, Tedras had called a six, and whatever called on the magic dice, always came true. But Tedras was now working on the ultimate hustle: changing the call mid-roll to avoid people getting too suspicious and to nag the pot now and then with an accomplice.
Six, came the dice... that was the last attepmt, Tedras thought.

Besides it was getting damp this side of the hall, where Tedras kept a little desk with all the document forgery kit across the foyer, Siobhan and Clancy enjoying the fireplace drew Tedras' attention. Closing and locking the desk -as if locking anything in this den of thieves helped at all- Tedras crossed the hall and sat pleasantly next to the gnome and the big dog.

No, not the face, Clancy, not the face!

Tedras tried to prevent Clancy from landing a wet warm licking in Tedras' face. The fireplace cracked gently and was a great soundtrack to Siobhan's story. The little gnome always had good stories and the skunk one was one of her best -even if she loved re-telling it now an then. Tedras listened with the same attention as ever and then the question came.

How would I handle it? Well, you'd be surprised! Skunks are not half as stinky as Troglodytes! Do you remember that place near Cauldron? Oh, maybe you don't, it was right after the Vanderborren Heist, I think you and Clancy left town soon. I just wanted to hang around and spend some money right. Tedras says squatting in front of the fire, both hands extended. The ember lights making shadows with the almost too perfect facial features. A human Tedras was, but too many thought Tedras was an elf, or half-elf. But if Tedras was soft looking, that was all a faccade! Part of the charm.
So after asking around I find this place a few miles into the woods, a lodge where people made weird bets and good amounts of money was exchanged. There I'm rolling high on the 4 Dragon game and ready to call it a night, when a patron, a Troglodyte fellow by the name of Irk, tells me I can double my platinum coins if I bet with him. Confident, I say yeah, let's do it. Without even asking the bet! Well, the guy says, If you can stay concious with me in a closed room while this candle burns out, you'll double your gains.
Sure, say I, easy money!

Tedras turns around to look at Siobahn and makes a horrible grimace!

Once inside, this Irk just starts seeping a horrible liquid! I'm telling you, it was the most offensive smell you can imagine! It pierced my nosetrils and poked holes in my clothes, so sharp it was! The candle is burning, not even half of it, and I'm about to explode, but I'm not losing all that platinum! Not this way! But now my eyes are burning like a Cornugon demon had pulled them out with fiery fingers! I'm actually crying tears of pain and the candle is not burning so painfully slow, I'm about to collapse a lung from the effort! And now the candle is two thirds out! And I'm just thinking about how well Lady Silverspoke smelled last time I saw her, and Lousy Roger pies in Applethorn Inn... you know all sort of things! Finally the candle goes Puff!
I had to scrub so hard I peeled my shoulders!

Tedras rises, now warm, and takes comfident strides towards the other side of the room.

Say, Siobhan, want to take Clyde for a stroll? There's a nice moon today, and we may be able to roll some bones at Old Art's Lodge

Tedras grabs an overcoat and heads out.

[Infernally Clay]

Rafe hears the gentle patter of rain on stone, the dark clouds dulling the sun's harsh light. Barely visible in one of the corners, Rafe sits with his hands crossed and his chin resting upon them. He is deep in thought, remembering the man he used to be. His eyes, once a vibrant green, are now a dull red and even his hair has lost its lustre, now a black that almost seems to be darker than the shadow it casts. Rafe can't quite get over his ears, though. They're so much larger than they used to be and he doesn't know how elves put up with it.

The room itself is nothing remarkable to look at. Bookshelves lined with journals and tomes detailing up to date information on the movements and whereabouts of groups and individuals of special interest. Rafe, too, was on one of these pages, he was sure. He certainly had made a name for himself and to some it wasn't a very nice one either. In the centre of the room is a large table adorned with a map of the region, notes and markers strewn across it, surrounded by velvet chairs - one of which Rafe had moved to the corner of the room to sit on in quiet contemplation. No doubt this table was to provide the people here with a medium to discuss the most urgent developments. Rafe didn't care about that, though. It's not how he hunted. He always preferred to have his boots on the ground, to pursue his quarry personally. It was almost like a very intimate game to Rafe and the most thrilling games were the ones that lasted him the longest, allowing him to savour them.

It was then that Rafe noticed Fenris enter the room. Much like himself, Fenris seemed to be an excellent tracker although Rafe assumed they had a different kind of quarry. Even so, Rafe respected talent all the same. So he decided to tell Fenris a tale, a warning to a follow hunter of the dangers of becoming the hunted.

"Some years ago a bounty was placed on a brutal murderer. They operated out of the Jiridae Wastes and they knew the land so well that anyone who traversed those dead lands to capture them never returned. By the time I had offered to handle things myself I think they had claimed three score lives, that anyone knew about anyway.

It took me three weeks to narrow down where in the Wastes they operated out of and two more before I first laid eyes on them. They knew I was hunting them and they allowed me to see them, an invitation to play a game. An invitation I gladly accepted, but one I was not prepared for.

They had trapped the entire canyon. I was cautious as I tracked them down but apparently I was not cautious enough. Before I knew it I had fallen into one such trap, which engulfed the area in an explosion of flame and shrapnel. Then I heard the sounds of people shouting out, a caravan of merchants who had seen the commotion and sought to help. My quarry left me to bleed out and disappeared to toy with their newfound prey. I gave chase and my quarry and I were locked in battle, but I knew I was too injured to succeed. Before the killer could land a fatal blow upon me, however, a young lady from the caravan commanded him to sleep and he fell unconscious immediately."

"To think, one of the worst killers this side of the Giant's Scar was ultimately brought low by who would have been his next victim. Had she not done what she did, I would be dead. Or should I say I would have died much sooner than I did."

"Ever since then I've never left home without a spell or two. Even steel as skilled as ours has its limits."

Before Fenris bade farewell, Rafe just had to ask "How do you manage these ears? Mine are so large now if it gets too windy they practically turn inside out."

[Lioslaith]

Fenris started a bit when Rafe started talking to him, he was unused to casual conversation and always taken aback a little when it ensued. He continued into the room quietly, hoping to draw little attention and found a spot in a corner so he could see the room. He tried to nod and affirm at the appropriate points in the story but noticed about halfway through that Rafe was staring just a tad off to the left of where he actually was. A habit he had picked up over the years he spent under his old masters thumb, the need to not be noticed.

When Rafe was done telling his story, Fenris made a throat clearing noise and shifted himself upon his chair to draw Rafe's attention back to him. The simple sleeveless leather vest and breeches he wore creaked a bit as he moved, helping to break the habitual stealth. He answered quietly, his oddly deep for his stature voice pitched so hopefully only Rafe could hear it. "That was indeed fortunate. I rarely seem to have any type of good luck like that."

"In fact, the best I can muster was when I was able to escape captivity and strike out on my own. Finding a place with the local guild, they have given me ... tasks for which I seem to be uniquely suited. Much like yourself, a hunter of men."

All the time he talked, which was odd in itself, Fenris was taking in the positions of everyone in the room, from the gnome with her dog sitting on the floor by the fire, to the human playing with the dog, to the half dead Rafe engaging in unwanted conversation, to the half elves, etc. Watching them move about the room, people always fascinated him, then, abruptly, he remembered Rafe had asked him a question. "The ... ears? They just are, I don't actually think much about them."

[The Hellbug]

Sorry if y'all are just waiting on me; I won't be able to get something up until tomorrow night.

[The Hellbug]

Ennius, who has so far been reading comfortably in a high-backed chair not far from the fire, lowers his book and speaks up. "Old Art's a cheat, you know," the half elf warns over the rims of his reading glasses. He sets the spectacles and book aside. Neither is strictly necessary, the book being only a collection of entertaining tales and the glasses merely to reduce the stress on his eyes in the dim light--they had been a tip from an elderly scholar and Ennius fancies them, imagining that they make him look academic and dignified, which he further imagines he needs to impress the present company.

"An enchantment on the dice, I believe," he continues, "harmless most of the time but able to be invoked to force them to land the house's way at the critical moment. Or--" Ennius pauses and smirks "--his patrons are just extremely unlucky. Funny that all that winning can be undone in one moment--or done again, in your case." The warlock tips his head respectfully towards Tedras. "I don't know how you managed that. I've never personally met a troglodyte, but every account I've heard is that the stench is absolutely unbearable."

"I'm afraid my luck's always been towards the former." Ennius shifts in his seat, clears his throat, and takes a sip from the goblet of wine on his side table. It's obvious from anyone who's spent any amount of time with him that there's a story coming. "I was involved in a scheme once, not strictly a gamble but not so far off, to swindle of man out of a large amount of money. I had a plan for the money at the time, but it clearly wasn't important since I can't recall it. Regardless, the target was a lord as miserly as a dragon--he loved his coin so much that he had each of his servants wear a pair of them on a necklace so that he could hear them cling cling as they went about their work--so that was reason enough. And friend of mine had found her way into his service, not by choice, mind, and had covertly sent a letter asking for help escaping. We had worked together before and there were some bad feelings about how it had ended but we were still acquaintances. That's another story."

Seeing that his long-winded table-setting is beginning to lose the room's attention, Ennius forges ahead. "Anyway, there were good reasons for me to be there. So, the stealing. First, I called in a favor from a wizard who owed me to cast a spell over the lord's manor, a subtle one that wouldn't do anything. Yet. Then, I snuck in and started a fire in the stables, which spread to the the manor. The lord panics. His servants are fleeing--remember that each of them has the two coins around their neck so they'll be well enough off for a while--and there's no one to fight the fire and his riches are at risk. Enter Ennius." The half elf spreads his arms and bows his head magnanimously. "I suggest that the house is already ruined, but that, if he were to smash the wall of the levy, the water could save his wealth. Coins are waterproof, after all. He gets to paying some onlooking peasants--you should have seen the looks on their faces when he handed them the bags of gold--to do just that. The water races in, the fire goes out, and, just like that, when it touches the coins my owed spell is activated!"

He pauses for dramatic effect and enjoys the anticipation of each listener for just a moment but, inevitably, continues. "Every one of them turns into a fish! So there are gold and silver and copper fish swimming around in the pond around the burned house. All that's left is to meet up with my friend, wait for the magic fade at dusk and collect the coins in the shallows!"

The triumphant conclusion is undercut, though, by how the telling had begun. "Oh, my friend drugged me, took the money, and ran off," he explains matter-of-factly when it's mentioned that that sounds like a lucky ending, "or should I say wife? Later. Another story. It was days before I got the lord's goons off my tail." As usual, at the tale's end it's impossible to tell from the warlock's face if it's true, a fabrication, a delusion, or all three.

[Dusk Raven]

Ugh, I don't think I'm going to manage an entry before the deadline. I've been tired and... adversely affected by medicine today, and that's not a great state to write in. If I wake up before the deadline, I'll try to get something out, but I'm not optimistic on that front. I want to, but...

[agignac]

It was a tough choice, but seven characters is just too many. The submissions were all excellent, and I thank everybody for their hard work. For those not chosen, if we have any attrition I will see if you're still interested.

The new party is as follows:



Player
Character name
Race/class


Lioslaith
Fenris (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2882003)
Pallid Elf Inquisitor Rogue


Auranghzeb
Tedras (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2559789)
Human battlemaster fighter/rogue


JNA Productions
Leaf (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2882457)
Half-elf Moon Druid


Archemist
Siobhan (https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/119418536/u3Nu7P)
Rock gnome cleric


the hellbug
Ennius (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2883242)
Half-elf warlock



Party members, please report to the IC thread. (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?665039-What-the-Stranger-Knows)

[Lioslaith]

I think the discord link is messed up?

[agignac]

I think I fixed it.

[Lioslaith]

Unless you are a friend of mine from Arkansas I didn’t know was on gitp then it’s still not taking me to the right place

[agignac]

Try refreshing, it's worked for a few others.