The Harbinger of Ferocity

D&D Advanced [Searching for Group]

There has been quite a bit more deciding among the group as to what they can or will be doing here. Thus far we have a monk and a warlock submitted, with a barbarian in the works, but do not feel limited in your selection and play what speaks to you. The overall objective this time around, rather than some "grand, epic quest" and deep story is the sake of playing heroic, good characters with access to large amounts of magic and combat.

D&D 5e - The Lost Lands

@Cu Chulainn, @JBRam2002, @Gordian Nought, in order to answer some of the questions, you might wish to reasonably communicate with one another if you have not already. As it is, I am including only one non-player character with the party and we are still awaiting to hear from at least one more player.

D&D 5e - The Lost Lands

@Gordian Nought, of you I ask that you input the numbers into the "Save" section for all your ability scores, your attack and damage for each weapon, and then under "Features and Traits", describe all elements of your race such as resistances, subrace, background and class in addition to any other benefits or penalties - such as the half plate. Other than this, please feel to elaborate on Wick's person, characterization, history and just how much she knows of her life before, if at all, and that the aasimar of the realm are essentially the last "embodiments" of the Kingdom of Light in the world. Not all believe this, not even some aasimar themselves, but the characters of the party know this true as well because they themselves are examples of the light. Spiritual and physical rebirth, such as hers, is actually plausible and would mesh well with the plot, so feel free to retain that.

For @JBRam2002, you are missing but one save, but other than that her character is accepted once you add more to her background. Tabaxi are odd folk, usually aloof to the sense of greater cosmic forces at work; it isn't that they have no idea, the contrary really, but that the majority of these rare creatures view it with the perspective of, "It is beyond my individual means to change." and go with life's changes as they come. However, for Katia she is aware that she and her cohorts can, and now have, forever altered fate. If anything I think the notion will reinforce her character ideal more; she and her group can what is to come. Beyond those suggestions to add a bit more information, she is complete.

For the both of you, once finalized, do contact me in messages so I can pose your questions and review the characters one last time.

D&D 5e - The Lost Lands

@Gordian Nought, @JBRam2002, @Cu Chulainn, I will read through these tonight when I have the opportunity and provide feedback on them there. If you have not already messaged me for your ability scores, please do so as after that I will pose a few questions. Given we already have two unusual submissions - a Tabaxi and a gnome - and they were the first, I would like to have the remainder of the party if possible be the more common options listed.

Two reasons, foremost being that they were indeed the first submissions and the most complete, the second being that they are effectively the party's "odd" members in that regard, something which makes them distinct based on just appearance alone in the setting. Each distinct and recognizable in that aspect.

D&D 5e - The Lost Lands

Here is a current example of the general format to make things less complicated and more universal for all players, @Gordian Nought. Lorenthar I will use as my Myth Weavers sample, as he's from another, albeit current game and more or less ironed out.

Other than that, my advice is to more or less elaborate on Glix Glimmerskin's background with your own twist and how you imagine him finding his way into the party, how and why he casts magic as he does and how he uses it and how he feels about the situation at hand. Given you have quite a bit of freedom, between you and the other players of course, my advice is to drum up that too. Short of the formatting edits and conversing with your allies, do send me a private message so we can sort out your ability scores and a few questions that will be quite relevant as time goes on.

D&D 5e - The Lost Lands

The Lost Lands

Prologue

There exists a story that has been long relegated to the works of fiction by time.

Once the world was said to be made up of two opposed forces, that of the light and that of the dark. Since the beginning these ideals clashed with one another, each so persistent to be rid of the other. Yet, as they were two halves of the same, neither could truly vanquish the other, but this did not stop their attempts. The Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness together saw to it in their conflict that creation would arise. Soon, when the time came that was, man cast in his hand and many obeyed the call they felt within their heart; to fight on behalf the light. Those few who opposed, the ones fallen to the darkness, struggled just as relentlessly in turn, still nursing scorned spirits. However, the balance of these two delicate forces of existence, the fundamentals of all creation and all worlds, had already fallen out of alignment.

The light beat back the Kingdom of Darkness, chasing it into the corners in which it then hid. Not content with this, never again wishing to fight such a terrible battle, man used the gifts they had received to seal away the defeated darkness. This gift today we know as magic in many forms, just as it was then too, but of far greater power than anything of imagination. So when they closed that doorway which bridged the Realms of Light and Dark, so too did their light fade.

But man was complacent.

For a time they no longer had served the Kingdom of Light and its unknowable good, instead having turned to that which they could understand. In so doing they created gods, shrines, temples, stories, myths and legends, all good and bad. Cut off from the light and darkness, they began to lose understanding of which was which; they ignored their hearts and believed what only they saw with their eyes. So just as they pushed the light away as they had the dark before, they unknowingly allowed the ever seeping shadow to follow the void, growing stronger wherever it found weakness. Foolish students of foolish masters, they attributed their misfortunes to mortal plights rather than the enemy they had forgotten, the same now that stared so clearly back at them; the Kingdom of Darkness, still weakened from the battle so, so long ago, preyed now upon that absence of light and the belief it did not exist.

As man turned against man the great world they had created for themselves fell apart, a disaster of their own creation. This world you know personally, as it was your home. Yet, that was not what collapsed it into the Kingdom of Darkness where it now resides potentially lost forever. No, that was your own doing.

By some means or another, beyond explanation or understanding, you and a few kindred spirits were granted the spark of good within you. You, by your nature, are good at your core. Perhaps not always was this the case, almost certainly not for all of you, but it was what allowed you to survive. It is this same mysterious power that drew you all together, united as one against an enemy you could not explain or even truly defeat. Foe after foe you felled, only to watch them to disperse into inky mists and fade away. You battled to the seat of your realm's power and discovered again what had laid hidden in plain sight.

The Door to the Realm of Light and Dark, the very thing that held your world in balance, could not be seen by those who were blind to both good and evil. It was what tethered your world together, everything you knew and loved, and from its edges seeped terrible darkness. There was nowhere to go but forward as your enemy manifest relentlessly here before it. Only was it when you flung open those long sealed doors, ready to do battle, did the powers of existence return truly.

You, in no fault of your own, unleashed upon all worlds both those powers of the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness once more...

Drown out by the darkness, you too would have been consumed like your world was, but that hope within you shielded you more powerfully ever than before. It is your duty and that of your allies to be the lights in the darkness, to be the first and foremost of the Kingdom of Light and return the realms to order, all of them, including your own in the process. You know those hearts, those souls, are not lost forever. That there can be redemption and rescue for all things of existence.

... but it will take a battle to do so.

Overview

The rules and stakes are made simple, in that your character must not lose the light - the ambiguous, almost indescribable tenants of good - or face fighting the darkness internally or externally. Thus, all characters must be Good aligned on at least one axis; if they are former foes redeemed by being called to light or if they were born with the best ideals of good in them, they are heroes through and through. Their party is their friends, the only people they have come to know to rely upon. This is not to say they think others are bad, on the contrary, but they know it is difficult to convince others to surrender even the smallest evils in their hearts.

It is important to note that one cannot kindle hope, kindness, joy, passion and other noble ideals in others without living it themselves. Thus the characters should be of lighter spirits, motivated that they are by chance the heroes of a benevolent force that wishes to bring balance once again and through them and their actions, chase back the evil forces at work. From this, it should be noted that certain things are always considered evil, just by their nature - something the characters in time will need to learn to confront. Worse yet, while the characters should attempt to avoid unneeded conflict, especially with those of neutral or other good hearts, not everyone is so kind or well meaning; evil can be as deceitful as it delights in being prideful and bombastic.

Magic and swords will often come into play, especially with the shadowy figures - emanations of darkness itself personified - that assault the heroes and others as they travel across the realms. Threats vary from Planar beings and creatures, to evil itself. Fortunately, whereas darkness represents nothingness, the characters are embodiments of something given form. Defeat, short of the loss of the entire party, is penalized minimally. So as one can reasonably expect, battle will be frequent, fast, dynamic and lively; a spirit of high fantasy with ample rewards for those who seek out their calling. Owing to this, it is encouraged characters have both martial and magical talents.

While the story proper begins not long after their opening of the doorway and finding themselves cast into the Planes, the campaign will start with a flashback to moments prior. From there, they will see themselves on an expansive story crossing a great amount of terrain. It should be noted that while they will start off more mundane, the arms, armor, equipment, environment and setting will quickly progress toward high fantasy sword and sorcery.

Rules

• The characters will all begin at 2nd character level, able to be crafted from any published Wizards of the Coast material or Unearthed Arcana, using the most current version of any.
• The characters may be "reflavored" background and class-wise as seen fit, but should match the overall tone and theme of the setting.
• The characters must be Good aligned and are strongly suggested to be aasimar, elves, half elves or humans. They are in character aware that they need act as a force of good and know the party they have been traveling with enough to trust them.
• The characters will use the average hit points for their level with maximum at 1st as normal.
• The characters will have their ability scores sent to them by private message request of the Dungeon Master who in return will also pose them with a few personal, secret questions and a reward.
• The characters begin with all starting equipment and gold from their background and class combined. In addition, they may have any non-magical items they so wish that cost less than 50gp, unless the item is relatively equivalent to that (such as a hand crossbow).
• The characters, when completed, will be put on a Myth Weavers sheet for ease of access and forwarded to the Dungeon Master.
• The players are free to inquire in private or in public anything they wish of the Dungeon Master. Judgments and rules will follow the most current rulings possible. Where no rulings exist, a new ruling will be created, favoring the players.
• The players have no time limit between posts out of initiative order but are expected to be active roughly every three days. If need be the Dungeon Master will contact a delinquent player and notify them they need post, even if their character is not actively being engaged. Inactivity and loss of interaction is extremely damaging to morale and plot.
• The players will have two days in initiative order to post and failing this will have their turn and character assumed by the Dungeon Master. While under the Dungeon Master's control, the character will behave according to their person and make the best decision they can for themselves and their party.
• The players should be mindful of the maturity level; assume this game, more lighthearted and noble as it is, intentionally strays away from the more serious topics. If you are unsure what would be questionable, contact the Dungeon Master in private first.

Information

There does not appear to be anything here...

Players

The following users indicated interest:
@JBRam2002, @Decker126, @Gordian Nought, @Cu Chulainn, @Chaotic Chao, @Zverda

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D&D Advanced [Searching for Group]

Only ones that are mechanically meaningfully relevant apply, thus the Bladesinger wizard is still limited to elves, @Cu Chulainn. Thematic limitations do not apply because parallel examples do not always exist. I am perfectly accepting of "reflavored" characters, spells or abilities, but of course there are specific rules to that - casting Thunderwave will still require an invocation of something along the lines of "Come thunder!" unless altered to become lacking in verbal components.

The entire prospect of the question of "good" and "evil" with where faith sits in it I am writing in full currently to post in the topic itself, but the general notion should be said here for all to read clearly; within this setting, your belief, conviction, faith and devotion to good to "light", "good" or whatever you decide to call it in those vague turns, is the source of positive divine magic. Arcane magic is the mystical arts, something beyond any real understanding and that with which even mighty wizards are not fully certain of. Magic is personal in all of this, which gets to some moral issues I hope we participate a bit in.

An edit for those who read this later, you can find the topic now here.

D&D Advanced [Searching for Group]

@Cu Chulainn, at this time I am intent on making the question of deities a matter for consideration. As with older editions, deities and forces have more power based on their believers, so in essence, there is a personified form of these concepts. Going beyond this there, as with what we saw with the Pact of Undying Light warlock, there truly exists the pure essence of good.

What does this in particular mean? Your deities do exist in the cosmology of the Planes, but they are only minor players as mere mortals would be to them. I do not plan on any interaction with them, for reasons I cannot mention at this time, but there is nothing stopping you from devising your own philosophy.

As such, feel free to be creative in doing so, but remember all that I ask is it is a force of unquestionable good; not Pelor type conspiracy. Divine magic, more than anything, is faith and belief in those powers; good in the case of players. You might have that connection through strong ritual and practice, as a cleric might as that is how they were taught or practice, or more with a Favored Soul because that spark of good is so strong that you can call upon a personal, deep connection.

The overarching "good guys" and "bad guys" fall onto those spectrum.

Yes, the nebulous darkness does so as well, but as I realize those few pursuers of dark desires are few in number. Powerful, sure, but the minions of darkness are more numerous than individually mighty.

D&D Advanced [Searching for Group]

They are not assigned in order, @JBRam2002. Once you have selected those six numbers from the range, you are free to arrange them as you would have if you yourself rolled them. I am doing it blind because I rolled them personally and I do not want anyone to have a questionable advantage that I myself cannot validate. If someone even wants to go so far as challenge it, I have a sheet printed out from the matrix; you will get exactly what you chose and are free to array then from there.

There is no number lower than 8, none actually rolled, and the average is 12.3 across the board.

D&D Advanced [Searching for Group]

The intent is to use Myth Weavers as that is the one a majority seem to be familiar to, @Cu Chulainn. Rolled dice will be done on the Guild internally for accountability.

On another note, as I have heard no "nays" to rolled stats as of yet, I will be gathering those results and assigning them to unassociated numbers. People will then pick from those numbers six of their choice, provided they are not already claimed and use those to determine their stats. So, for now, assume you are using only an array as a single vote against will cancel this out.