Hedgehawk
MurderVictim
Ersa93
MusokaBrulen Ironfist
Character Summary
Name: Brulen Ironfist
Aliases:(Nicknames, previous names, maiden names, etc.)
Age: 88
Race/Ethnicty: Dwarf (Hill)
Place of Origin:
Gender: Male
Class(es): Monk
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 13
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 17
Charisma: 13
Height: 4' 2"
Weight: 145 lbs
Build: Medium
Eyes: Light Green
Hair: Dark brown
Skin Tone: Dusky Olive
Tattoos/Scars/Piercings:
Description/Appearance/Day To Day Attire: Fairly tall for a dwarf, Brulen shares the strong and stocky build of his kin, but he is built lighter and more agile. His body is ripped like corded steel from years of training and working the forges. His hair is a dark brown, almost black. It is pulled back for the top half and turned into a thick braid, that rests atop the rest, and is banded with silver. He has a beard, like almost all dwarves, but his is shorter, only atwo or three inches long, sloping out to an edge along his jawline. Light green eyes glitter from dark, slightly thick brows with intelligence and a piercing quality. At his neck a birthmark peaks form beneath his clothes along the right side of his neck, colored like a wine stain, some say it resembles a dragon, the others the serpent in the roots of the World Tree. It is fairly noticeable against his dusky olive skin.
He is somewhat quiet, saving his words but when he does speak his voice is deep and basso and it seems to resonate and project when he wishes. The dwarf has a powerful voice, and chooses to use that sparingly. His hands are often busy, fidgeting or fiddling with something.
Most days he is dressed in the uniform and robes provided by his temple, which are done in colors of storms from light grays to deep blues and purples. His boots are softboots, with loose, flowing pants tucked into them and tightly wrapped. He wears a loose shirt over this, with open sleeves, his hands similarly wrapped and bound. Over the shirt is a tunic or tabbard. A belt around the waist holds a pouch, and what looks to be a series of throwing knives of some kind. Half the time he may have a shortsword on him as well. Often he will wear a cloak and hood as well.
When traveling, he is dressed in tough, sturdy canvas clothes, meant for wear and tear. and usually in earthy browns and forest greens, and it has many pockets which are useful. His pack is also withhim on the road, and at these times he has a spear with him, and a shortsword. Usually he has a cloak and hood with this.
Strengths: (max of 3)
Weaknesses: (minimum 3)
Sexuality: Hetero (Kinsey 1)
Relationship Status: Single
Personality: I judge people by their actions, not their words. If someone is in trouble, I'm always ready to lend help.(Minimal 2 paragraphs)
Ideals: Respect. People deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. (Good) Sincerity. There's no good in pretending to be something I'm not. (Neutral)
Bonds: I protect those who cannot protect themselves. I wish my childhood sweetheart had come with me to pursue my destiny.
Flaws: The tyrant who rules my land will stop at nothing to see me killed. I have trouble trusting in my allies. I have a weakness for the vices of the city, especially hard drink.
Habits: Minimal 3
Hobbies: At least 1
Fears: 3 real fears that make your character unhinged
Likes: (Minimum of 6)
Dislikes: (Minimum of 6)
Motivations/Goals
Listed below are the skills in which Brulen is proficient with:
Possessions Generally On Person: Clothing, coin purse, money, etc
Weapons: Personal weapons, no magically enhanced items
Explorer's Pack Contents: What do you carry in you pack when traveling
Magical Items:
Potions: Premade or prepurchased potions
Parents: Alive/Dead/Known/Relationship With?
Siblings: Any/Birth Order/Relationship With?
Childhood: Anything notable?
Adulthood: Anything notable?
Special Moments: Things that stick out in you characters mind most often
Current Events: What brings you here? What were you most recently up to? What's a character like you doing in an rp like this? Why did your become an adventurer? Who or what is most important to you?
Who is their worst enemy, and what did they do to you?
What is one place that you never want to visit again?
What would make her the happiest they’ve ever been?
Character Quote: Something they say a lot or live by
Theme Song: What would be playing when they walk up if we were in a movie?
Aura Color: Are they a fiery red that burns everything around them or a soft soothing blue? Or any other color for that matter.
Scent: Hound just sniffed your clothing to track you, what would it smell like?
Anything Else:
Additional Images:
Aliases:(Nicknames, previous names, maiden names, etc.)
Age: 88
Race/Ethnicty: Dwarf (Hill)
Place of Origin:
Gender: Male
Class(es): Monk
Stats
Though we will not be rolling dice for feats, this will give a base line to run off of for your character. Max for any stat is 20, average is 10. You have 75 stat point to assign between the six stats.
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 13
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 17
Charisma: 13
Physical Attributes
Height: 4' 2"
Weight: 145 lbs
Build: Medium
Eyes: Light Green
Hair: Dark brown
Skin Tone: Dusky Olive
Tattoos/Scars/Piercings:
Tattoos:
Scars:
Piercings:
Description/Appearance/Day To Day Attire: Fairly tall for a dwarf, Brulen shares the strong and stocky build of his kin, but he is built lighter and more agile. His body is ripped like corded steel from years of training and working the forges. His hair is a dark brown, almost black. It is pulled back for the top half and turned into a thick braid, that rests atop the rest, and is banded with silver. He has a beard, like almost all dwarves, but his is shorter, only atwo or three inches long, sloping out to an edge along his jawline. Light green eyes glitter from dark, slightly thick brows with intelligence and a piercing quality. At his neck a birthmark peaks form beneath his clothes along the right side of his neck, colored like a wine stain, some say it resembles a dragon, the others the serpent in the roots of the World Tree. It is fairly noticeable against his dusky olive skin.
He is somewhat quiet, saving his words but when he does speak his voice is deep and basso and it seems to resonate and project when he wishes. The dwarf has a powerful voice, and chooses to use that sparingly. His hands are often busy, fidgeting or fiddling with something.
Most days he is dressed in the uniform and robes provided by his temple, which are done in colors of storms from light grays to deep blues and purples. His boots are softboots, with loose, flowing pants tucked into them and tightly wrapped. He wears a loose shirt over this, with open sleeves, his hands similarly wrapped and bound. Over the shirt is a tunic or tabbard. A belt around the waist holds a pouch, and what looks to be a series of throwing knives of some kind. Half the time he may have a shortsword on him as well. Often he will wear a cloak and hood as well.
When traveling, he is dressed in tough, sturdy canvas clothes, meant for wear and tear. and usually in earthy browns and forest greens, and it has many pockets which are useful. His pack is also withhim on the road, and at these times he has a spear with him, and a shortsword. Usually he has a cloak and hood with this.
Strengths: (max of 3)
▲ Resistent to poisons. Drinks everyone under the table
▲ Agile
▲ Tough
▲ Agile
▲ Tough
Weaknesses: (minimum 3)
▼ Likes to drink too much
▼ I have trouble trusting in my allies.
▼ Might just be a bit reckless
▼ I have trouble trusting in my allies.
▼ Might just be a bit reckless
Psychological Attributes
Insightful * Perceptive * Spiritual * Tough
Sexuality: Hetero (Kinsey 1)
Relationship Status: Single
Personality: I judge people by their actions, not their words. If someone is in trouble, I'm always ready to lend help.(Minimal 2 paragraphs)
Ideals: Respect. People deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. (Good) Sincerity. There's no good in pretending to be something I'm not. (Neutral)
Bonds: I protect those who cannot protect themselves. I wish my childhood sweetheart had come with me to pursue my destiny.
Flaws: The tyrant who rules my land will stop at nothing to see me killed. I have trouble trusting in my allies. I have a weakness for the vices of the city, especially hard drink.
Habits: Minimal 3
- Fidgets and fiddles with things, seemingly a nervous habit
Hobbies: At least 1
- Music - Playing the flute
- Gambling - Particularly playing cards
Fears: 3 real fears that make your character unhinged
- Driders - They give me the willies.
Likes: (Minimum of 6)
✔ Mead
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Dislikes: (Minimum of 6)
✘ Whiners
✘ People that talk talk talk, and never actually do anything.
✘ Fake apologies. The best apology is doing better. Better yet, don't do it at all.
✘ Insincerity - Don't pretend to be something you're not.
✘
✘
✘ People that talk talk talk, and never actually do anything.
✘ Fake apologies. The best apology is doing better. Better yet, don't do it at all.
✘ Insincerity - Don't pretend to be something you're not.
✘
✘
Motivations/Goals
Skills
A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities, such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges
Listed below are the skills in which Brulen is proficient with:
- Acrobatics: The ability to to stay on your feet in a tricky situation, such as when you’re trying to run across a sheet of ice, balance on a tightrope, or stay upright on a rocking ship’s deck. You can perform acrobatic stunts, including dives, rolls, somersaults, and flips.
- History: Your ability to recall lore about historical events, legendary people, ancient kingdoms, past disputes, recent wars, and lost civilizations and other such historical matters.
- Insight: A measure of skill in determining the true intentions of a creature, such as when searching out a lie or predicting someone’s next move. Doing so involves gleaning clues from body Language, Speech habits, and changes in mannerisms.
- Survival: Some ability to follow tracks, hunt wild game, guide your group through frozen wastelands, Identify signs that owlbears live nearby, predict the weather, or avoid quicksand and other natural hazards.
- Darkvision: Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
- Dwarven Resilience: You have advantage on staving off being poisoned against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
- Dwarven Toughness: You're just a little bit hardier than other folk.
- Stonecunning: Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
- Skill: Description
- Skill: Description
Monk Powers/Abilities
A listing of spells, their descriptions - casting times, elements needed to cast, expected damage, any draw packs to casting
- Martial Arts: Your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don't have the two-handed or heavy property.
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a shield.
• Your strikes may be based on your coordination, precision, and swiftness rather than raw power.
• When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff, you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn.
Certain monasteries use specialized forms of the monk weapons. For example, you might use a club that is two lengths of wood connected by a short chain (called a nunchaku) or a sickle with a shorter, straighter blade (called a kama). - Unarmored Defense: Years of martial arts training have honed not only your reflexes, but your ability to anticipate strikes and sense danger, allowing you to combine speed and anticipation to your defense.
- Spell: Description
- Spell: Description
- Spell: Description
- Spell: Description
Possessions
Possessions Generally On Person: Clothing, coin purse, money, etc
- Belt pouch: Contains 15 gold, 11 silver, 40 coppers, and 3 gems (10 gold each equivalent)
- Clothes: Varies between the common clothes the temple provided (loose pants, leg wrappings, soft boots, shirt, and tunic all in stormy colors) or a set of sturdy, tough, traveling clothes, with many pockets.
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
Weapons: Personal weapons, no magically enhanced items
- Spear: This spear is several feet in length with a blade at least a foot long on the end. It is suitable for slashing as well as piercing. The entire haft, the butt, and the flat of the blade works pretty well for bashing too.
- (10x) Kunai: Bristling with throwing knives that work much like darts.
- Shortsword: This blade is a couple of feet long, light and fast in the hand.
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
Armor: Base armor only, no magically enhanced items
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
Animals: Have a horse or bird?
- Animal: Description
Explorer's Pack Contents: What do you carry in you pack when traveling
- Mess Kit: This tin box contains a cup and simple cutlery. The box clamps together, and one side can be used as a cooking pan and the other as a plate or shallow bowl.
- a tinderbox: This small container holds flint, fire steel, and tinder (usually dry cloth soaked in light oil) used to kindle a fire. Using it to light a torch - or anything else with abundant, exposed fuel - takes an action. Lighting any other fire takes 1 minute.
- rations: 10x Days worth. Rations consist of dry foods suitable for extended travel, including jerky, dried fruit, hardtack, and nuts
- Rope: 50 feet of hempen rope, coiled on the outside
- bedroll: Thick pad and blanket rolled into a tight bundle, bound to bottom of pack exterior
- waterskin: A liquid container often made of leather or other materials of a similar nature.
- Torches: 10 of them. Gotta have something to see with,e vne if I can see in the dark.
- Broken Sword: My inheritance, passed to me. It is said that the one who can remake it and wield it has claim to an ancient throne or kingdom. It is said that this weapon was once special in other ways. I know almost nothing about it.
- Cards: A playing card set I use to pass the time, and occasionally win some money with.
- Flute: Made of brightsteel and looks to be silver plated, this instrument is used by Brulen to amuse himself from time to time, playing tunes and melodies of all kinds.
- Clothes: Either a set of tough, sturdy, and many-pocketed traveling clothes, or regular common clothes provided by the temple.
- Smith's Tools: Good tongs, a decent flat hammer, and a few other items useful for a blacksmith in forging.
- Item: Description
Magical Items:
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
Potions: Premade or prepurchased potions
- Healing Potion: A bulbous flask that fits in the palm. This vial is filled with a thick, syrupy red liquid that seems to have a golden glimmering sheen to it. The one who made it said it would fix him right up if he got hurt.
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
Creation Materials: Anything used to brew potions or for alchemy
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
- Item: Description
History
Parents: Alive/Dead/Known/Relationship With?
Siblings: Any/Birth Order/Relationship With?
Childhood: Anything notable?
Adulthood: Anything notable?
Special Moments: Things that stick out in you characters mind most often
Current Events: What brings you here? What were you most recently up to? What's a character like you doing in an rp like this? Why did your become an adventurer? Who or what is most important to you?
Who is their worst enemy, and what did they do to you?
What is one place that you never want to visit again?
What would make her the happiest they’ve ever been?
Extras
Character Quote: Something they say a lot or live by
Theme Song: What would be playing when they walk up if we were in a movie?
Aura Color: Are they a fiery red that burns everything around them or a soft soothing blue? Or any other color for that matter.
Scent: Hound just sniffed your clothing to track you, what would it smell like?
Anything Else:
Additional Images:
Dwarf: Dour, hearty, stalwart, focused
Racial Advantage:
Darkvision gives dwarven monks the advantage in the dark.
Racial Disadvantage: Dwarven monks are usually a long way from home in very unfamiliar surroundings. This can prove disconcerting and distracting to a hero seeking oneness with the universe.
HOME COMMUNITY
Table 1: Home Climate
What is the land like where you were born and raised? Roll twice on this table to find out. The first roll determines the temperature range in your home land, and the second determines the dominant terrain type. This choice may have some bearing on the type of terrain you find comfortable.
Climate: Temperate. Cold winters, but warm summers.
Terrain: Hills. Includes highlands, cliff dwellings, and any other rugged terrain
Dwarf communities tend to center on the mines that are central to the dwarven economy
Large Mine. Up to 200 dwarves work a mine of this size.
FAMILY
It’s said that you are who you are either because of your parents or in spite of your parents. Whichever is the case for your character, few factors have a greater influence on you than your family. Note that throughout this section, “family” is intended in the broadest possible sense. Your family might be your fellow island castaways, the other beggars in Fish-Eye Alley, or the kindly monks who took you in as an orphan. In fact, one of the questions you should ask yourself as you use Tables 3 through 12 is “Who do I consider family, exactly?”
Table 3: Family Economic Status
How wealthy is your family? While this information doesn’t have any direct bearing on the wealth of your character, it may be a useful bit of background information to help describe your character’s attitudes. It’s also a good motivational hook for your DM.
Moderate. Your family owns at least a small dwelling or can make rent payments without significant concern. The family’s income slightly exceeds its needs.
Wealthy. Your family owns a dwelling and may own other property. Family income significantly exceeds basic needs
Table 4: Family Social Standing
How do other people in your community view your family? If your family is prominent, their social standing may extend to include surrounding areas, or perhaps even the entire country!
Social Standing - Noble. Your family is at the very pinnacle of social standing in your community.
Table 5: Family Defense Readiness
When trouble comes knocking at the door, how will your family respond? In areas where conflict is rare, military training may seem quite extraordinary, even distasteful. In areas where the threat of danger is real and constant, not being prepared is viewed as the worst kind of stupidity.
Dwarves in particular usually have some form of martial training due to the constant threat of danger from their underground dwellings.
Outstanding. Your family has a tradition of military service, and family members are taught from birth to be courageous and stalwart companions when battle is joined. The family armory contains magic weapons and armor.
Table 6: Family Private Ethics
Some families have a shared ethos that impacts the decisions and actions of their members. In general, small communities composed of relatives or near relatives rarely tolerate shady or evil residents.
Good. Your family is known for involvement in the community and acting to help others.
Table 7: Family Public Ethics
Regardless of what the actual ethics of the family may be, the perception in the community may differ due to a variety of circumstances.
Undeserved. Whether your family is unfairly painted as cheats or has a better reputation than they deserve, it’s clear the community has the wrong idea. - The family is viewed as greedy sods who are only running the minds ot line their pockets. This isn’t true of course.
Table 8: Family Religious Commitment
Does your family have a specific religious commitment? If you answer that question “Yes,” the obvious follow-up question is “Who?” Your family may worship a pantheon, a state religion, a group of deities based on alignment, or a “cosmic truth” like law or chaos. If you make an unusual choice, substitute that option wherever the table references a “deity.”
Remember that this represents your family’s religion, not necessarily your own.
Strong. Your family is deeply committed to a patron deity (Moradin - The Allhammer).
Table 9: Family Reputation
You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your relatives. This table describes how the community feels about your family, based on the behavior of its members.
This table overlaps a bit with Table 4 and Table 7, because all three answer the question “What do they think about your family?” Once again, if you get wildly different answers, brainstorm an unusual reason or simply roll or pick again.
Good. Your family is known as stalwart companions.
Table 10: Family Political Views
Politics plays a big role in every family. Even in a quiet kingdom with a beloved monarch, your family may have a strong and avowed commitment to supporting the ruler and his/her family.
A sense of discord with the current system can create any number of really interesting background details for both you and your DM to use.
Radical. Your family is in open revolt against the current system and existing rulers.
Table 11: Family Power Structure
How does your family organize itself? Most families have some form of structure, even if it is only the “respect” of a child for a parent.
The more complex the family business or intrigues, the more detailed the family power structure should become
Oligarchy. The richest members control your family
Table 12: Ancestors Of Note
Every family has its favored sons, gifted daughters, and crazy aunts and uncles. If you want a truly strange family, roll on this table more than once.
This table uses the term “ancestor” because it’s likely that these well-known people aren’t around to influence the character’s career directly. But with your DM’s approval, there’s no reason you can’t simply substitute “family member” for “ancestor” anywhere on this table.
Every ancestor you select should prompt you to write a one - or two - sentence description of who that person was and why they matter to your family. This information does not need to include a complete character template, just enough data for your DM to use as hooks for an adventure and for you to have interesting stories to tell about your family.
Cleric. Your family produced a cleric of some repute.
Victorious Hero. Your family produced a great military leader who was ultimately victorious.
Forgotten. Your family’s ancestors of note are unknown or forgotten. Information about them could be revealed in a future adventure, however.
EDUCATION
No one is a trained fighter or wizard from birth. Someone taught you how to swing that sword, pick that lock, or perform that religious ceremony. The following tables learn what your education was like before the day you began adventuring. After that point, you’re on your own.
Table 13: Early Childhood Instruction
All characters learn some basic skills as children. This instruction may provide a direction for their later interests and careers. This table tells where you focused as a child—your favorite subject.
Keep in mind that your skill selection should reflect your childhood education. If you don’t want a particular skill suggested by this table, simply roll or choose another.
Childhood Education Focus: Outdoors. You learned basic wilderness survival skills.
Table 14: Formal Education
Most families that can afford it make sure their children get some formal schooling. Sometimes this education is a part of an apprenticeship program, or it may be a natural outgrowth of helping with the family business. It’s okay to use this table more than once, but make sure your choices here are backed up on your character sheet.
Advanced Math. You mastered more complex mathematics.
Table 15: Learning A Trade
For most characters, the idea of making a living as an adventurer starts as little more than a dream. Instead, most characters are apprenticed to a trade, inducted into the religious or military order the family is affiliated with, brought into the family business, sent to the fields for planting and harvesting, or given some other task-related instruction.
Craft. You’ve learned a craft (any of the categories possible for the Craft skill)
Monastery/Knightly Order. You have been accepted for training by an order of monks or paladins.
LIFE EVENTS (THUS FAR)
Life isn’t just training for a profession of course. Think of your own life and all the events—good and bad—you’ve lived through. It’s likely that your character, growing up in a fantastic, dangerous world, has had at least that many triumphs and tragedies.
Table 16: Early Childhood Events
Some events in early childhood have lasting impacts on a character’s future development
Astronomical Event. You were born under a strange moon, a comet in the sky, or some other phenomenon.
Table 17: Youth Events
Many characters get their first sense of the wide world they live in during their teenage years. Use this table to determine what exciting or heartbreaking events were the highlights of your character’s youth.
Battle. You aided in the defense of the community against raiders or a marauding monster
Great Romance. Lingering effects may include a jilted lover or a current relationship — and a reputation for boorishness or tenderness
Table 18: Pivotal Events
Some events are so significant that they change the entire course of a character’s life. These events are not necessarily tied to a specific age or experience level but might occur at any time. Remember that you don’t have to use this table if you don’t want to.
For many, this table represents the last significant thing that happened to your character before the first adventure begins.
Climactic Battle. A significant monster or villain threatens the community and is eventually either destroyed or driven off.
RELATIONSHIPS
Next we’ll turn our attention away from events and toward people. By populating your character’s world with interesting family, friends, and enemies, you make the world seem more real, and you give your DM all kinds of tools to make adventures more exciting. Perhaps your sister gets kidnapped. Or maybe your uncle is now the captain of the watch, and he’ll let you sneak into the tower if you can get a certain flower for his wife.
Table 19: Parents
Probably the most important basic relationship a character has is with his or her parents. If previous tables have told you about your parents, you may want to choose an entry on this table, rather than roll one.
Two Living Parents. Both are alive and healthy
Parents Lost or Unknown. You may learn more about them in a future adventure, of course.
Table 20: Siblings
Second only to the parent/child relationship is the relationship between a child and siblings. This table determines how many brothers and sisters you have.
Middle. You have 2 older siblings and 1 younger siblings.
Table 21: Grandparents
Many humans have living grandparents. In the longer-lived races, grandparents or great-grandparents are even more common. You should decide how many of your character’s elders are still a part of the character’s life.
Great-Grandparent alive. At least one, maybe more. Make a note of how many and who they are. Roll again to check on your grandparents.
Grand parents unknown. They died before you were old enough to remember them.
Table 22: Extended Family
This table includes uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, links by marriage, links broken by marriage dissolution, etc. The tangle of familial relationships can be as detailed or as simple as you desire.
Many Living Relatives. You have 10 living relatives
Table 23: Friends
These friends might actually be other heroes that your character will adventure with, or they may be NPCs for your DM to use for mood, setting, or plot. In any event, create as many or as few as you feel necessary, in as much detail as you wish.
Few. You don’t make friends easily, but you’re a good friend to them. You have a few close friends.
Table 24: Enemies
Enemies, from local bullies to major villains, can shape your life as much as your more positive relationships. At the least, a good set of enemies provides your DM with an excellent foil for heroic adventures! This is another table you can roll on more than
once, if you want.
Jilted Lover. You wronged someone in a matter of the heart.
Social Rival. You wronged someone (either actually or only in that person’s imagination) in a social or business context.
Table 25: Instructors
Many people form strong bonds with teachers, mentors, superior officers, etc. For the purpose of this table, we’ll call them instructors. This relationship provides not only excellent basis for creating NPCs, but also suggests what your 1st-level class might be. Once you’ve checked this table, make a note of your instructor’s name, location, etc.— and decide whether your instructor is still alive.
Basic. A particularly good instructor taught you the basic skills (choose alive or dead, note NPC details)
Angry. You have angered or otherwise alienated an instructor of note.
Racial Advantage:
Darkvision gives dwarven monks the advantage in the dark.
Racial Disadvantage: Dwarven monks are usually a long way from home in very unfamiliar surroundings. This can prove disconcerting and distracting to a hero seeking oneness with the universe.
HOME COMMUNITY
Table 1: Home Climate
What is the land like where you were born and raised? Roll twice on this table to find out. The first roll determines the temperature range in your home land, and the second determines the dominant terrain type. This choice may have some bearing on the type of terrain you find comfortable.
Climate: Temperate. Cold winters, but warm summers.
Terrain: Hills. Includes highlands, cliff dwellings, and any other rugged terrain
Dwarf communities tend to center on the mines that are central to the dwarven economy
Large Mine. Up to 200 dwarves work a mine of this size.
FAMILY
It’s said that you are who you are either because of your parents or in spite of your parents. Whichever is the case for your character, few factors have a greater influence on you than your family. Note that throughout this section, “family” is intended in the broadest possible sense. Your family might be your fellow island castaways, the other beggars in Fish-Eye Alley, or the kindly monks who took you in as an orphan. In fact, one of the questions you should ask yourself as you use Tables 3 through 12 is “Who do I consider family, exactly?”
Table 3: Family Economic Status
How wealthy is your family? While this information doesn’t have any direct bearing on the wealth of your character, it may be a useful bit of background information to help describe your character’s attitudes. It’s also a good motivational hook for your DM.
Moderate. Your family owns at least a small dwelling or can make rent payments without significant concern. The family’s income slightly exceeds its needs.
Wealthy. Your family owns a dwelling and may own other property. Family income significantly exceeds basic needs
Table 4: Family Social Standing
How do other people in your community view your family? If your family is prominent, their social standing may extend to include surrounding areas, or perhaps even the entire country!
Social Standing - Noble. Your family is at the very pinnacle of social standing in your community.
Table 5: Family Defense Readiness
When trouble comes knocking at the door, how will your family respond? In areas where conflict is rare, military training may seem quite extraordinary, even distasteful. In areas where the threat of danger is real and constant, not being prepared is viewed as the worst kind of stupidity.
Dwarves in particular usually have some form of martial training due to the constant threat of danger from their underground dwellings.
Outstanding. Your family has a tradition of military service, and family members are taught from birth to be courageous and stalwart companions when battle is joined. The family armory contains magic weapons and armor.
Table 6: Family Private Ethics
Some families have a shared ethos that impacts the decisions and actions of their members. In general, small communities composed of relatives or near relatives rarely tolerate shady or evil residents.
Good. Your family is known for involvement in the community and acting to help others.
Table 7: Family Public Ethics
Regardless of what the actual ethics of the family may be, the perception in the community may differ due to a variety of circumstances.
Undeserved. Whether your family is unfairly painted as cheats or has a better reputation than they deserve, it’s clear the community has the wrong idea. - The family is viewed as greedy sods who are only running the minds ot line their pockets. This isn’t true of course.
Table 8: Family Religious Commitment
Does your family have a specific religious commitment? If you answer that question “Yes,” the obvious follow-up question is “Who?” Your family may worship a pantheon, a state religion, a group of deities based on alignment, or a “cosmic truth” like law or chaos. If you make an unusual choice, substitute that option wherever the table references a “deity.”
Remember that this represents your family’s religion, not necessarily your own.
Strong. Your family is deeply committed to a patron deity (Moradin - The Allhammer).
Table 9: Family Reputation
You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your relatives. This table describes how the community feels about your family, based on the behavior of its members.
This table overlaps a bit with Table 4 and Table 7, because all three answer the question “What do they think about your family?” Once again, if you get wildly different answers, brainstorm an unusual reason or simply roll or pick again.
Good. Your family is known as stalwart companions.
Table 10: Family Political Views
Politics plays a big role in every family. Even in a quiet kingdom with a beloved monarch, your family may have a strong and avowed commitment to supporting the ruler and his/her family.
A sense of discord with the current system can create any number of really interesting background details for both you and your DM to use.
Radical. Your family is in open revolt against the current system and existing rulers.
Table 11: Family Power Structure
How does your family organize itself? Most families have some form of structure, even if it is only the “respect” of a child for a parent.
The more complex the family business or intrigues, the more detailed the family power structure should become
Oligarchy. The richest members control your family
Table 12: Ancestors Of Note
Every family has its favored sons, gifted daughters, and crazy aunts and uncles. If you want a truly strange family, roll on this table more than once.
This table uses the term “ancestor” because it’s likely that these well-known people aren’t around to influence the character’s career directly. But with your DM’s approval, there’s no reason you can’t simply substitute “family member” for “ancestor” anywhere on this table.
Every ancestor you select should prompt you to write a one - or two - sentence description of who that person was and why they matter to your family. This information does not need to include a complete character template, just enough data for your DM to use as hooks for an adventure and for you to have interesting stories to tell about your family.
Cleric. Your family produced a cleric of some repute.
Victorious Hero. Your family produced a great military leader who was ultimately victorious.
Forgotten. Your family’s ancestors of note are unknown or forgotten. Information about them could be revealed in a future adventure, however.
EDUCATION
No one is a trained fighter or wizard from birth. Someone taught you how to swing that sword, pick that lock, or perform that religious ceremony. The following tables learn what your education was like before the day you began adventuring. After that point, you’re on your own.
Table 13: Early Childhood Instruction
All characters learn some basic skills as children. This instruction may provide a direction for their later interests and careers. This table tells where you focused as a child—your favorite subject.
Keep in mind that your skill selection should reflect your childhood education. If you don’t want a particular skill suggested by this table, simply roll or choose another.
Childhood Education Focus: Outdoors. You learned basic wilderness survival skills.
Table 14: Formal Education
Most families that can afford it make sure their children get some formal schooling. Sometimes this education is a part of an apprenticeship program, or it may be a natural outgrowth of helping with the family business. It’s okay to use this table more than once, but make sure your choices here are backed up on your character sheet.
Advanced Math. You mastered more complex mathematics.
Table 15: Learning A Trade
For most characters, the idea of making a living as an adventurer starts as little more than a dream. Instead, most characters are apprenticed to a trade, inducted into the religious or military order the family is affiliated with, brought into the family business, sent to the fields for planting and harvesting, or given some other task-related instruction.
Craft. You’ve learned a craft (any of the categories possible for the Craft skill)
Monastery/Knightly Order. You have been accepted for training by an order of monks or paladins.
LIFE EVENTS (THUS FAR)
Life isn’t just training for a profession of course. Think of your own life and all the events—good and bad—you’ve lived through. It’s likely that your character, growing up in a fantastic, dangerous world, has had at least that many triumphs and tragedies.
Table 16: Early Childhood Events
Some events in early childhood have lasting impacts on a character’s future development
Astronomical Event. You were born under a strange moon, a comet in the sky, or some other phenomenon.
Table 17: Youth Events
Many characters get their first sense of the wide world they live in during their teenage years. Use this table to determine what exciting or heartbreaking events were the highlights of your character’s youth.
Battle. You aided in the defense of the community against raiders or a marauding monster
Great Romance. Lingering effects may include a jilted lover or a current relationship — and a reputation for boorishness or tenderness
Table 18: Pivotal Events
Some events are so significant that they change the entire course of a character’s life. These events are not necessarily tied to a specific age or experience level but might occur at any time. Remember that you don’t have to use this table if you don’t want to.
For many, this table represents the last significant thing that happened to your character before the first adventure begins.
Climactic Battle. A significant monster or villain threatens the community and is eventually either destroyed or driven off.
RELATIONSHIPS
Next we’ll turn our attention away from events and toward people. By populating your character’s world with interesting family, friends, and enemies, you make the world seem more real, and you give your DM all kinds of tools to make adventures more exciting. Perhaps your sister gets kidnapped. Or maybe your uncle is now the captain of the watch, and he’ll let you sneak into the tower if you can get a certain flower for his wife.
Table 19: Parents
Probably the most important basic relationship a character has is with his or her parents. If previous tables have told you about your parents, you may want to choose an entry on this table, rather than roll one.
Two Living Parents. Both are alive and healthy
Parents Lost or Unknown. You may learn more about them in a future adventure, of course.
Table 20: Siblings
Second only to the parent/child relationship is the relationship between a child and siblings. This table determines how many brothers and sisters you have.
Middle. You have 2 older siblings and 1 younger siblings.
Table 21: Grandparents
Many humans have living grandparents. In the longer-lived races, grandparents or great-grandparents are even more common. You should decide how many of your character’s elders are still a part of the character’s life.
Great-Grandparent alive. At least one, maybe more. Make a note of how many and who they are. Roll again to check on your grandparents.
Grand parents unknown. They died before you were old enough to remember them.
Table 22: Extended Family
This table includes uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, links by marriage, links broken by marriage dissolution, etc. The tangle of familial relationships can be as detailed or as simple as you desire.
Many Living Relatives. You have 10 living relatives
Table 23: Friends
These friends might actually be other heroes that your character will adventure with, or they may be NPCs for your DM to use for mood, setting, or plot. In any event, create as many or as few as you feel necessary, in as much detail as you wish.
Few. You don’t make friends easily, but you’re a good friend to them. You have a few close friends.
Table 24: Enemies
Enemies, from local bullies to major villains, can shape your life as much as your more positive relationships. At the least, a good set of enemies provides your DM with an excellent foil for heroic adventures! This is another table you can roll on more than
once, if you want.
Jilted Lover. You wronged someone in a matter of the heart.
Social Rival. You wronged someone (either actually or only in that person’s imagination) in a social or business context.
Table 25: Instructors
Many people form strong bonds with teachers, mentors, superior officers, etc. For the purpose of this table, we’ll call them instructors. This relationship provides not only excellent basis for creating NPCs, but also suggests what your 1st-level class might be. Once you’ve checked this table, make a note of your instructor’s name, location, etc.— and decide whether your instructor is still alive.
Basic. A particularly good instructor taught you the basic skills (choose alive or dead, note NPC details)
Angry. You have angered or otherwise alienated an instructor of note.
Category 1
First Name: Brulen
Surname: Ironfist
Nicknames:
Date of Birth:
Age: 88
Category 2
Do you have any distinguishing facial features: Birthmark
Do you have any personal handicaps?: Nope
Do you have any scars?: You wanna see them?
Which facial feature is the most prominent?: Beard
What kind of clothing do you like to wear?: Comfortable, loose
What is your Species/Ethnicity?: Dwarf (Hill)
Category 3
Do you have any words or phrases you overuse?:
Are you pessimistic or optimistic or maybe somewhere in between?: Glass is half full, mate. 'Til I empty it.
Do you ever put on airs?: No, not really.
How is your sense of humor/what makes you laugh?:
What is your greatest fear?: Failing my family and clan
What makes you heroic? Or what makes you villainous?: Think we're gonna find that out, really. I have no idea right now.
Category 4
Is your family big or small?
Do you have any issues with your family?
Do you have any siblings? What is your relationship like with them?:
Do you have/own any pets? If not, what would you own?:
Category 5
What has been your greatest achievement?
What has been your greatest failure?:
Did you grow up rich, poor, or middle class?:
What is your best childhood memory?:
What is your worst childhood memory?:
What would you be willing to die for?:
What are your ambitions?:
What is your greatest extravagance?:
What is your life motto?:
Category 6
Do you believe in love at first sight?:
Are you in a relationship?:
When did you last knock boots with someone else?:
Have you ever been in love?:
Have you ever had your heart broken?:
Category 7
Do you believe in the Force?:
What do you think of the Force?:
What are your thoughts on afterlife?:
Category 8
What is the worst thing that could be done to a person?:
What is your definition of freedom?:
When was the last time you lied to someone?:
How do you view lying?:
When did you last make a promise to someone?:
When was the last time you broke a promise?:
Category 9
What are your eating habits like?
Do you have any allergies?:
What's your drink of choice?:
Are you a minimalist or a hoarder?:
Category 10
What is your character archetype?:
What would you do if you won the lottery?
If you could travel through time, where would you go? Who would you meet?
What would you ask a fortune teller about your future?:
