The Harbinger of Ferocity

DnD 5e - Beginner's Game

@Ms Ravenwinter, that depends upon what you wish to do most with a character and what druidic circle would interest you as well. An all spellcasting party is viable, especially with a Circle of the Moon druid filling your defensive role with Wild Shape. Two druids would work just as well too.

Either case I still intend to play a barbarian, fighter or druid.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

Brannor rested a gauntlet upon the barbarian's shoulder in a gesture of acknowledgment, adding in comment to the gesture before he departed.

"All the same, your ferocity was admirable." Brannor remarked, "The men of this tamed land I hope can learn its essence."

With that, the cloaked huntsman strode past the orc and back out through the archway onto the ramparts. The scent of char and... for lack of better words, blood and suffering, had mostly up and vanished into the late night air. Or perhaps it was that the knight-aspirant had recollected his thoughts in meditation and a delve back to the soul. Whatever its case was in root, it made the ordeal more survivable for both the mind and the heart. Two places the enemy could only wish to reach to destroy the defenders most expediently, as such was the nature of despair and its host, those forces of evil principality.

Surveying the keep itself and just beginning his walking along the wall, ever so faint rattle of his chain against his chest announcing his otherwise silent footfall, he happened into the tail end of a conversation that had been ongoing for many minutes; at least as long as he and Orchid were gone, but these concerns seemed deeper, ever more sincere and honest. The Chauntean priestess and a seasoned militiaman were those involved, with Brannor only overhearing... "... We can't run away from our home."

But there was more than this now that he paid heed to it again.

Most notably, the sobbing he had unattuned himself to was present again and it was clear now where and what it came from. No longer detached, he honed in upon the source, which was in fact past him and down a ways, and soon found himself towering over a rightfully weary, rightfully afraid halfling, whose expression spoke just as many volumes as her actual words had earlier. Brannor had not been there to hear them, at least not in mind, but he had enough insight to see she was disturbed and had come unchecked emotionally. For a moment it impressed upon him to hesitate, just as he did when they first met the dragon, but for vastly different reasons. It was a realization he was in many respects, cold and unfeeling, almost animal.

The divine power the suffused him made him a predator of men and monsters alike, but to see Parum internalize what surely many others felt struck a different chord he had only vaguely understood; kindling the light. A message not so much for him, something he burned brightly with inside, but for those who lacked that otherworldly gift. The ones who needed it sheltered and fed.

"Parum?" Brannor said, proving to no longer stand over her like a mountain but rather crouch down.

@Hekazu@Ryonara@Lucius Cypher@Gordian Nought@Norschtalen

DnD 5e - Beginner's Game

@Mesonyx, all classes in Fifth Edition are fairly simple so need to worry about being "new" to them. Bards are your classical jack-of-all-trades class and have the ability to cast spells, which they would normally do in combat to use their turns as well as grant a bonus called Bardic Inspiration. You can either focus on spellcasting or armed combat with a bard, the former giving you more things to do and options than the latter. My advice there is to use your abilities liberally, but not all of your higher level spells unless you really think they might be useful in that scenario. Generic advice, I know, but you do not have a large amount of spells to use so cantrips are going to be your forte much of the time.

To my awareness we are starting at 1st level as @Ermine said, although I strongly advocate we abandon that sooner rather than later as the low levels of all versions of Dungeons and Dragons are usually very lethal unless we have a steady supply of short and long rests; our characters do not yet have much endurance or many options and lucky rolls from the enemy can be easily fatal. Because this is a beginner's game, I would worry none too much about it though, but it is good information to learn and understand now while it is new to you.

Thus far it seems we have...

A bard, a druid and a warlock - is that correct?

DnD 5e - Beginner's Game

Hexblade is all yours if you wish to go that route, @JBRam2002. I fortunately have options, but at least the archetype is seeing discussion despite how relatively new it is; the warlock desperately needed it as was. @Ermine does have some interesting classes, but the formatting for me seems off, as I cannot read the second half in the slightest owing to some sort of error.

DnD 5e - Beginner's Game

@Ermine, I do not mind either form of experience tracking. While I do think individually tracking the experience is for the best, for the sake of simplicity rather than being at a table, you tracking it and just telling us when we do level up would be easiest. I am not fond of milestone type experience, because it often plays explicitly into "dramatic convenience" from my personal encounters with it, so there is no point in exploring or fighting monsters other than the essential ones.

On another note, I do think the best "world" in mind is one that has a healthy balance of low fantasy up to sword and sorcery, avoiding the extremes of high magic and epic fantasy where the world tends to be pretty inexplicable and eclipse anyone who lacks access to those resources. A scenario where magic is still arcane, mysterious, novel but to some extent accepted as a factor of life, with peoples' opinions of it varying and there not being a great number of druids, clerics, wizards and so on; a town might rely on a lone wizard they know several days away for their magical insights, but he is still there, rather than in hiding.

To transition again, I think it would be wise everyone announces what class they would like to play, just so those of our group new to the game have their chance to lay claim to something they want to learn and the rest of us can then find something we know we like and work with it from there. The reason I say this is because this is a Beginner's Game - it is even in the title now - and I personally would want new players to fill the role they feel most interested in to help them better learn it. Not that we cannot have two clerics, two defensive fighters or two rogues, but so that at least for myself I know what I should play to assist the group.

This go around I would like to play a Battle Master or Champion fighter, a Hexblade warlock or a Circle of the Moon druid, but I am not expressly dedicated to them; I can and will give or take on them. I just would like to know what the rest of the party thinks.

And yes, it will be feline themed. Either as a Tabaxi or a refluffed half orc.

There's just no avoiding that.

D&D Beginner [Searching Group + DM]

I assumed as much, but I do not mind Fifth as I said, @Ermine. I would say once you hear back from everyone to state how and when you want us to gather to do this. I admit my schedule is unusual, so I might be submitting a character to you in private because the odds are fairly even I may be unavailable to be in the group while the characters are being drafted.

D&D Beginner [Searching Group + DM]

@Ermine, I would be willing to play Third or Fifth Edition, whichever we seem to be going with. Given there would be some educating involved, I am also none too worried about the players here or the direction the campaign seems to be aimed toward. If you are unable to Dungeon Master, I could as well.

I personally am for a play-by-post on the Guild here as our actual playing ground, with a Discord chatroom or just using the Tabletop area there. I have a Skype as well, which could be an option to fall back upon if that's the safest option for others.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

"Hi. What happen? We kill dragon?"

Brannor's return to consciousness from his meditative place in mind earned him witnessing the almost casual greeting by Orchid, a man a number of others likely now thought dead.

"The beast left on the wing, but we can only pray that is for good tonight." He replied, certain to himself the orc would not be sated with that answer; after all they both survived.

The man grasped the weapon upon his leggings by its handle and bindings, taking it up with him as he rose from being seated. A time had passed, enough that the calm had returned in the world itself and in his own spirit. Again he had shrugged off the distractions as best he could, but now he was left to wonder what else was coming for them. A dragon was an impressive feat, one they would need investigate into in the morning when the sunlight removed what advantages the kobolds and the rest of their lot had.

Placing the sizable buckled leather strap across his armored breast before donning the quiver and bow at that, Brannor then set about dusting himself off, adding in conversation during this process; "Now that you are with us again, we should probably see what the others have found themselves up to."

"Last I recall they were attending to the other wounded." The stern man finished, looking over the half blood who indeed was no worse for wear in the slightest.

At the moment Brannor was not about to admit he worried that Orchid would not have survived such an insane attempt; there would be time to ask later as he assumed the man was about to be on his way again, looking for the next monster to slay and the next enemy to defeat. It was as though nothing phased him, which for a mortal was an impressive accomplishment seeing that he had no overt magical aptitude in the slightest.

@Hekazu@Ryonara@Lucius Cypher@Gordian Nought@Norschtalen

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

I am not suggesting all of our characters have to do that or should do that, @Norschtalen. Inspiration should be awarded for acting out character flaws, bonds, traits or plot elements even at risk to themselves, for better or worse. Those does not mean another character should not have been awarded it if they handled a situation brilliantly in character or in the most charming, charismatic fashion.

The example case is that based upon what we have known about Orchid, his character, what he does what he does and why, he is a qualifier for it and that is why I suggested it. None of the other characters would have or should have attempted that and it was unclear what the intention was for us to do with the dragon short of fight it, presumably to the death. Thus far while the dragon hasn't come back, I sincerely doubt this is the last time we will see it; it already is none too fond of Parum, which is an interesting plot element for the future for her to act on and even better she's aware of it.

Inspiration is not a contest, especially one where we have to blow for blow meet everyone else, but an incentive for playing a character out completely. In a way, mind you this is how I perceive it, @Lucius Cypher now has to either top his own effort previously and make it again totally reasonable in character and not just for the sake of Inspiration or now play out a completely different element of Orchid in order to try to gain Inspiration.

And that is exactly how it should be, as by the time he is likely to do so in such a hypothetical environment, at least one other person should have carried out a major element of their character.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

On the other hand I also believe that some things, even if not successful, could be rewarded with inspiration. whether it's Orchid's stunt, or Parum rallying others, Brannor landing a critical shot, Kyra stealing someone from the grasp of death, or Travor shielding everyone from certain doom. While all these things are subjectively "awesome@ an "heroic", it would still be nice to have some sort of consolation for going above and beyond what is necessary for our characters to do to survive and fulfill our objective.

@Lucius Cypher

This was primarily the reason I was talking about it, not so much "good writing versus exceptional writing", but more that players are willing to put their characters on the line to play out their story. That ability to go above and beyond to play out what they would do rather than should do in many cases because the goal is to make them not characters, but relatable people.

Inspiration all too often is used as a coveted currency because it has the power of advantage, but I would like to think we are all mature enough as roleplayers to know we probably should pass it off to another player or that we should use it so we are not tying it up so to speak. While difficult in a forum setting, I think this environment actually offers a better spotlight for it because we can read and see exactly where the character is going with this; is it in line with their motivation, personality, objectives, desires, faith and so forth? The other reason I brought this up is because we are not receiving experience gain, there feels like minimal character progression mechanically is occurring; Inspiration costs nothing but feels like the character in question really went to the limit.

While I understand your rationale, I had to pose this first, @Hekazu.