The Keep On The Shadowfell A Level 1 Module DM'd By Bounty Hunter
Hello everyone! I figured I'd go ahead and get the ball rolling here by running a quick 4E module. I'm still new to DMing so I'm trying to keep things rather simple for now, hence limiting the allowed books. But I want to focus more on players interacting and having fun than who has the most powerful stat sheet. Please read all of the below points before deciding to apply. Thank you for your time and interest.
Expectations:
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What You Can Expect From Me - I'm mature and fair, and would like to consider myself easy to get along with. - I'm online daily. Though occasionally I may be out and about on the weekend. - I'm fairly well versed in RPGs and in Forums and prefer to make clean, descriptive, properly formatted posts.
What I Expect From You - You to be mature, fair, and friendly to both DM and players. - An in-character post every other day, but would prefer daily if possible. - If you've played this module, please don't metagame, or ruin it for those who haven't. - Post with proper spelling, formatting, and at least some effort. - Understanding and patience with the new DM, or any newer players. - Thinking outside the box, engaging roleplaying, and not solely focusing on hitting enemies. - Have fun, its why we're here.
The Big Sixteen
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[1] What game system are you running? -D&D 4E
[2] What 'type' or variant of game will it be and what is the setting for the game? -Keep on the Shadowfell - Heoric Supplement #1 -Mostly straight from the book, but will add flavor embellishments and adapt to the party. -If things go well, I may consider running additional modules afterwards.
[3] How many Players are you looking for? -Looking to have five to six players. Newer players welcome. Also prefer people who havent played this module before. -If there are more than six applicants I may either do alternatives, or increase the campaign difficulty.
[4] Where will the game be played? -Here on NGA
[5] What is the characters' starting level and experience? -Starting at level one.
[6] How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with? - 100 GP to spend on equipment and supplies. - 25 GP you cannot spend during character building.
[7] What about game balance and Homebrew? -No homebrew. Running straight from the books.
[8] What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game?? -All races from PHB1. -All races from PHB2 with the exception of Deva. -Please have good backstories for Goliaths and Shifters.
[9] By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points? -Using 22 Point Buy with Max HP
[10] Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so? -Players must be one of the following : Unaligned / Good / Lawful Good -Please do not be 'lawful stupid'
[11] Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it? -No multiclassing, no multiclass feats. -No hybrid classes
[12] Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls? -All rolls will be conducted by [ur=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/l]Invisible Castle[/url] dice roller. -Players will roll their own 'active' actions in the IC thread. DM will roll passive checks. -See below for an example post format.
[13] Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about?. -No homebrew. Stock D&D game.
[14] Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular? -Background is required; I dont need a life story, but they should have depth. -You character should have a story that compliments them being in the party and being on this adventure.
[15] Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above? -All fights from the Module will be in place. -Additional content may be added to help the party with XP -Additional XP can be gained from creative solutions and good roleplaying.
[16] Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements? What sources can Players use for their characters? -Official Player's Handbook 1 and 2 -I'll state it again so that its quite clear. PHB1 and PHB2. -Racial ability bonus from THIS may be used. -Do not ask for more, do not ask for magazines, do not ask for homebrew. Please.
An Example Post
Quote:
With the massive blow from Elliot's spear the wolf crumples easily barely even having time to let out a dying yelp. Blood spurts fill the air splattering everything nearby and slowly begins forming a dark pool in the dusty road. Rook nods to Elliot and gives a wicked grin, obviously approving of such a display. "You mean to tell me there's a warrior hiding in there beneath all that 'For the common good' preaching? HA!"he howls, still grinning wildly and swinging his axe towards the goblin at the corner of the wall. He calls out a warning to his fellow adventurer:"Watch your heaaaaad!"
Actions:
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Move Action : None Standard Action : Use Reaping Strike against Goblin Cutthroat #1 on K14 -To Hit : [roll0]-2 From Cover -Damage : [roll1] -Effect : If miss deal 4 damage to Goblin Cutthroat #1 on K14 Free Action : Verbally high-five Elliot for being awesome.
Note: I'm not demanding all your posts be as long as that. And Im not insisting that you bold and underline like I do. But I do ask that you put some flavor into your posts, make them clear and easy to read, and add depth to your character even while in combat. Give the other players and a DM a way to learn about your character and things to respond to with further roleplay. Its not important to me that you found a three paragraph way to describe hitting an orc with a sword, its important to me that your character feels like a person not a sheet of data, and that he finds his "place" in the party and in the game world.[/spoiler]
[-] Please vote on one of the following adventure hooks for the parties backstory. You've been adventuring as a group for at least a month prior to this adventure. You can wait until all characters are posted.
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1. Missing Mentor The player characters seek news of their old friend and mentor, Douven Staul. The man who trained them for a life of adventure bade his friends farewell three months ago and headed for Winterhaven. Douven, a rabid explorer of old ruins, had found a map that revealed the location of a dragon’s tomb not far from the village. He figured if a dragon was buried there, why not also its hoard?
The explorer should have returned some time ago, and his continuing absence bodes ill. The adventurers fear the worst and are determined to find out what happened to their mentor.
2.Ruins Of An Empire Winterhaven grew up in the shadow of an old keep. Like other similar structures across the land, the keep fell into disrepair when the empire of Nerath crumbled a hundred years earlier. Winterhaven survives to this day, a modest point of light in a world that has grown darker and more dangerous.
A scholar named Parle Cranewing hires the characters to locate the old keep and map what remains of it, promising to pay 250 gp for a complete rendering. The adventurers readily agree to explore the ruined fortress near Winterhaven. These ruins might contain the treasures and secrets of the vanished human empire. Determined to earn a reputation, as well as the scholar’s gold, the PCs head out in search of adventure.
3. Ominous Signs Marla of the Great Church, an earnest young priest of the good deity Pelor, contacts the PCs before the start of the adventure. She has been studying the history and activity of various demon and death cults. According to Marla’s research, witnesses saw a small group of death cultists traveling toward Winterhaven about a year ago. She has since learned that the head of this group is a dangerous and twisted priest named Kalarel. Marla fears that Kalarel has set up a secret cult in the area and is conducting unholy ceremonies. She asks the PCs to travel to Winterhaven, determine if there is any death cult activity in the area, and, if so, to stamp it out.
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"Life is like a Dungeon Master, if it smiles at you something terrible is probably about to happen."
Joined: Sep 22, 2013 Posts: 11309 Location: Asleep at the wheel
Preferred Pronoun Set: SE / squinty / squints
I'd love to participate if someone can point me to an online resource for putting together a 4E character. My only real experience with character creation is Pathfinder. I'm sure I can catch on quickly, though I might need some help with the rules. If you want, I'm willing to learn.
I'd love to participate if someone can point me to an online resource for putting together a 4E character. My only real experience with character creation is Pathfinder. I'm sure I can catch on quickly, though I might need some help with the rules. If you want, I'm willing to learn.
I'm still way more experiences with 3.5 and PF than 4E, but being as 4E is easy to run and moves at a better pace for PbP I figured I'd run this module.
As far as building a character its pretty much the same with the exception of powers. Without the actual character builder from WotC if you have the 4E Players Handbook it breaks it down. I dont have the DDI builder either, but I prefer to build my characters by hand anyway. I mostly use the form-filliable sheets on MythWeavers.
If you want to start putting something together I can surely help as I'm able. I'm not encyclopedia mind you. But this game is newbie friendly and more focused on getting the community off the ground and just having some fun than about min/maxing stats. I want the players relaxed, making jokes, and having fun roleplaying, not worrying who has the best excel spreadsheet in the form of a wizard.
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"Life is like a Dungeon Master, if it smiles at you something terrible is probably about to happen."
Talking about PbP, this would probably be a good game to wet my feet, since I am new to the whole PbP thing.
Also my 4E experience consists of: 2 campaigns starting 1-2 weeks as 4E, then converting back to 3.5 right after. I don't hate 4E, but the groups I've played with do XD.
So tentative /in, pending actually finding the time between work, school starting soon, and streaming to make a character.
I've never gotten into the whole "edition elitism" thing. I see each for their particular strengths and weaknesses. In this case 4E allows for a very easy to explain, quick to set up game to get the ball rolling and to teach people. When it comes to in person gaming, 4E is very useful to "recruiting" people into D&D and then from there you can more easily teach them 3.5 or PF etc.
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"Life is like a Dungeon Master, if it smiles at you something terrible is probably about to happen."
Joined: Sep 22, 2013 Posts: 11309 Location: Asleep at the wheel
Preferred Pronoun Set: SE / squinty / squints
Ugh, I can't find a decent pdf to view the player handbooks 1 and 2 right now, so I'll just have to find out some other way how to do it. Really quite tired right now, too tired to put much thought into it. I do want to play, just gotta figure out how to get the info and make a character...
Ugh, I can't find a decent pdf to view the player handbooks 1 and 2 right now, so I'll just have to find out some other way how to do it. Really quite tired right now, too tired to put much thought into it. I do want to play, just gotta figure out how to get the info and make a character...
~SE++
I would never promote the use of ill gotten PDFs.
Get some sleep, I've got the week off, so I'm down to help tomorrow should you need it.
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"Life is like a Dungeon Master, if it smiles at you something terrible is probably about to happen."
I have access to the Character Builder, so I can help squinty_eyes too, if need be. Considering that I am comfortable playing just about anything, I will mull over a couple of options.
@squinty_eyes: As an old hand at 4E, I can help you find a suitable class/feats/abilities if you have a general idea of what kind of character you want to play. I'll also be happy to help you pick up the rules.
Joined: Sep 22, 2013 Posts: 11309 Location: Asleep at the wheel
Preferred Pronoun Set: SE / squinty / squints
LordManshoon wrote:
@squinty_eyes: As an old hand at 4E, I can help you find a suitable class/feats/abilities if you have a general idea of what kind of character you want to play. I'll also be happy to help you pick up the rules.
Awesome! Thank you guys so much. Here's what I think I'd like to do:
Race: Human Gender: Male Class: Some kind of Arcane Caster Stats: Base 10 for physicals (maybe a 12 for DEX and CON), and preferably a caster that uses CHA primarily?
I think there are still spots, so I'd like to play. I've only GMed 4E for several sessions before all our schedules and my grad school and their incessant whining about 4E being different from 3.5 ended the game, so I am still new.
ETA: Is there background we should know prior to creating characters?
@squinty_eyes: If you want an arcanist that relies on CHA, then your best bets are the Bard, Sorcerer, or Warlock.
Bards are Leaders, and their strengths lie in hindering the enemy and keeping their allies in peak form. They tend to be some of the most skill-oriented characters in the game.
Sorcerers and Warlocks are both Strikers, so they're especially well-versed in magic that deals big damage and otherwise weakens the enemy. Sorcerers have innate magic, inherent in their bloodlines, while Warlocks bargain for power with supernatural entities (archdevils, fey lords, etc) in special pacts. Both bloodlines and pacts are pretty diverse (a wild magic bloodline has more randomness to it than the more straightforward dragon-heritage bloodline), and a fey pact (adept at beguiling and manipulating others) is quite different than an infernal pact (adept at sapping others' strength and lashing out in retribution).
Joined: Sep 22, 2013 Posts: 11309 Location: Asleep at the wheel
Preferred Pronoun Set: SE / squinty / squints
Okee dokee, Sorcerers sound pretty much like the Sorcerers of Pathfinder, so that should be an easy transition. And I doubt I could roleplay a binding pact with an archdevil accurately. Not to mention I don't want to lead with my first 4E experience, so Bard is out. So, from what I've read, a 22 point buy requires me to start with all base 10 stats, and one stat at 8, then use their pointbuy system.
So, I'm gonna start with Strength being my 8....
STR - 8 DEX - 10 CON - 10 INT - 10 WIS - 10 CHA - 10
Oh, hey, look, a 22 point buy calculator for D&D 4E! So, let's see what I can do....
STR - 8 DEX - 12 CON - 12 INT - 10 WIS - 12 CHA - 18
Joined: Sep 22, 2013 Posts: 11309 Location: Asleep at the wheel
Preferred Pronoun Set: SE / squinty / squints
Okay, so far I have:
Image:
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[DA-D] Gael's Autumn/Winter Outfit by ~Yuki-Chan12 on deviantART
I'm no artist, so I had to search for an image. I was thinking brown hair and brown eyes, but you know what? I kinda like the looks of this image, so blonde hair and green eyes it is. You just have to kinda backtrack and think of him a bit younger and shorter. Aside from that, the appearance is pretty spot on for what I wanted.
Name: 34 (Thirty-Four) Race: Human Size: Medium Gender: Male Age: 16 years old Height: 5'4" Weight: 125 lbs Alignment: Unaligned Deity: The Raven Queen Languages: Common, Draconic Background: Artisan (Blacksmith) -- Diplomacy +2 Bonus At-Will Power: Acid Orb Bonus Feat: Implement Expertise Bonus Skill: Intimidate (CHA) Human Defense Bonus: +1 FORT, +1 REF, +1 WILL Armor Proficiency: Cloth Armor
Levels: 1 Class: Sorcerer Experience: 625 exp Hit Points: 25 Healing Surges per Day: 6 + CON (7)
SKILL CHECK BONUSES When you create your character, you should determine your base skill check bonus for each skill you know. Your base skill check bonus for a skill includes the following: ✦ One-half your level ✦ Your ability score modifier (each skill is based on one of your ability scores) ✦ A +5 bonus if you’re trained in the skill In addition, some or all of the following factors might apply to your base skill check bonus: ✦ Armor check penalty, if you’re wearing some kinds of armor (see Chapter 7) and making a check using Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution as the key ability ✦ Racial or feat bonuses ✦ An item bonus from a magic item ✦ A power bonus ✦ Any untyped bonus that might apply
Spell Source: Dragon Magic Draconic Power: You gain a bonus to the damage rolls of arcane powers equal to your Strength modifier. The bonus increases to your Strength modifier + 2 at 11th level and your Strength modifier + 4 at 21st level. Draconic Resilience: While you are not wearing heavy armor, you can use your Strength modifier in place of your Dexterity or Intelligence modifier to determine your AC. Dragon Soul: Choose a damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder. You gain resist 5 to that damage type. The resistance increases to 10 at 11th level and 15 at 21st level. Your arcane powers ignore any target’s resistance to that damage type up to the value of your resistance. Chosen: Fire Scales of the Dragon: The first time you become bloodied during an encounter, you gain a +2 bonus to AC until the end of the encounter.
Acid Orb Sorcerer Attack 1 You hurl a globe of acid at a distant enemy. At-Will ✦ Acid, Arcane, Implement Standard Action Ranged 20 Target: One creature Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex Hit: 1d10 + Charisma modifier acid damage. Level 21: 2d10 + Charisma modifier acid damage. Special: This power can be used as a ranged basic attack.
Dragonfrost Sorcerer Attack 1 A gust of frost hammers your foe and knocks it back. At-Will ✦ Arcane, Cold, Implement Standard Action Ranged 10 Target: One creature Attack: Charisma vs. Fortitude Hit: 1d8 + Charisma modifier cold damage, and you push the target 1 square. Level 21: 2d8 + Charisma modifier cold damage. Special: This power can be used as a ranged basic attack.
Storm Walk Sorcerer Attack 1 The thunder of your steps batters your foe. At-Will ✦ Arcane, Implement, Thunder Standard Action Ranged 10 Target: One creature Attack: Charisma vs. Fortitude Hit: 1d8 + Charisma modifier thunder damage. Level 21: 2d8 + Charisma modifier thunder damage. Effect: Before or after the attack, you shift 1 square.
Encounter Spells:
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Thunder Slam Sorcerer Attack 1 A shock wave of sound slams into the enemy. Encounter ✦ Arcane, Implement, Thunder Standard Action Ranged 10 Target: One creature Attack: Charisma vs. Fortitude Hit: 2d10 + Charisma modifier thunder damage, and you push the target 3 squares.
Daily Spells:
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Chromatic Orb Sorcerer Attack 1 An orb of arcane energy shifts colors as it hurtles toward your enemy. On impact, it erupts with damaging force, releasing the energy that was dominant at the time of impact. Daily ✦ Arcane, Implement; Varies Standard Action Ranged 10 Target: One creature Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex Hit: 3d10 + Charisma modifier damage. Roll a d6 to determine the attack’s damage type and effect. 1. Yellow: Radiant damage, and the target is dazed (save ends). 2. Red: Fire damage, and each creature adjacent to the target takes fire damage equal to your Dexterity modifier. 3. Green: Poison damage, and ongoing 5 poison damage (save ends). 4. Turquoise: Lightning damage, and you slide the target a number of squares equal to your Dexterity modifier. 5. Blue: Cold damage, and the target is immobilized (save ends). 6. Violet: Psychic damage, and the target takes a –2 penalty to AC (save ends). Miss: 1d10 damage. Roll a d6 to determine the attack’s damage type and effect, as above.
Rituals:
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Tenser’s Floating Disk Level: 1 Category: Exploration Time: 10 minutes Duration: 24 hours Component Cost: 10 gp Market Price: 50 gp Key Skill: Arcana Arcana Check Result Maximum Load 9 or lower 250 pounds 10–24 500 pounds 25–39 1,000 pounds 40 or higher 2,000 pounds You create a slightly concave, circular plane of force that floats a foot off the ground and can carry what you lay upon it. The disk is 3 feet in diameter and 1 inch deep at its center. It remains stationary unless you move more than 5 squares away from it, in which case it moves with your base speed once per round until it is within 5 squares of you. You can command the disk to move up to your speed as a move action. If you are more than 5 squares from the disk for 2 consecutive rounds, the disk disappears, dropping whatever it was carrying. Your Arcana check result determines the maximum load the disk can carry.
Implement Expertise Benefit: Choose a type of implement. You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with any implement power you use through that type of implement. The bonus increases to +2 at 15th level and +3 at 25th level. Special: You can take this feat more than once. Each time you take this feat, choose a different type of implement.
Ritual Caster Prerequisite: Trained in Arcana or Religion Benefit: You can master and perform rituals of your level or lower. See Chapter 10 for information on acquiring, mastering, and performing rituals. Even though some rituals use the Heal skill or the Nature skill, the Arcana skill or the Religion skill is required to understand how to perform rituals.
Backstory:
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From the age of eight when his powers began to manifest he knew he was different, and so did his parents. His parents alerted the local mages, and he was taken away into seclusion for training. The tower mages never asked his name, and every time he would begin to tell them he got punished, severely. Every lash on his back reminded him that names given by parents carry power and weight, and that he was never to reveal his to anyone. Not to his teacher, not to his friends, and certainly not to strangers. He was given a number on his right arm, an arcane marking made permanent by the headmaster of the tower. “34-8LL-85DK-G4” was what it said. Once, he tried to ask why everyone got such a long number when there were so few of them, and e got a new set of lashes to think about. Every year on his birthday he would examine his back in a mirror and count the number of times he forgot that lesson, and he would count the number of times he could have died by passing that power to the wrong people. In his third year at the tower he was asked if he wanted to create a new name for himself. Staring down at his arm, he said “34.” His teacher smiled and gave him only one lash for being cheeky about it.
Once each resident of the tower reached the age of twelve they were given jobs in the local city. 34 took a job at a blacksmith's shop working harder than he had ever needed to during his studies. Magic coursed through his veins, but except for sparring days, this was the most grueling work he had ever done in his life. So much of his studies involved the mind, focus and only exerting yourself by straining his face and contorting it in concentration. This involved so much more and he loved it. Every time he got to work he threw his entire body into it, and eventually his heart and soul bonded with his job. His forge-master even allowed him to construct his own set of daggers. Perfectly balanced for throwing and slicing, his forge-master even gave 34 some excess leather from an old binding to a broadsword and he made straps to hold the daggers. All six of his personal dagger still hang on his body to this day. One on each side of his waistband, one attached to each ankle and one hidden on his forearms under his mage robes on either side of his body.
Despite working so hard, every penny earned in his job was sent back to the tower. All the residents in the tower were given a choice. They were allowed to keep as much of their money earned in their jobs as they wished as long as they gave at least 10% back to the tower. While many of the students chose to keep a decent bit of their money, 34 decided the only way to repay them for their training was to give 100% of his income to the tower. This got him no preferential treatment, but it did fill his soul with a sense of belonging and accomplishment.
At the age of fifteen, 34 was given the chance to choose a course for apprenticeship. The tower taught predominately fire magics, which was never his favorite evocation. Despite many expert mages and a nearly endless supply of tomes to read and learn, 34 decided to ask to become a journeyman. Reluctantly, he was allowed to leave the tower. Given his robes, a backpack with supplies enough for now and his foci, he was given a chance to leave. As he left, he promised the headmaster that he was still loyal and would continue to give 100% of his rewards ever found in the world back to his tower. His headmaster told him that there were small outposts for the tower in nearly every city and most towns, which was how he was always aware of things happening around the world. He told 34 that if he ever needed to send anything back, to find one of those mages hidden around the city. Finally, his headmaster handed 34 a coinpurse of 25gp and told him that he would need something to make his way in the world, and that always, 25gp would be exempt from his 100%. For the first time in his adult life, 34 stepped out of his tower and onto the walkway with no plans on going back.
One year later, 34 finds himself just outside of Winterhaven, still with 25gp in his pockets and his rations running down to about 10 days left. Perhaps here he will find what he's looking for..
Joined: Sep 22, 2013 Posts: 11309 Location: Asleep at the wheel
Preferred Pronoun Set: SE / squinty / squints
DS wrote:
You typically start with 2/1/1.
Okay, cool, I'll go with that unless told otherwise. Does the 2 include my bonus one for being human? Also, the spells seem pretty limited. No spell like Mage Armor or stuff like Mount? Seems so very combat based.... like, heavily.
No, humans start with 3 At-Wills. "Buff" abilities that do not also deal damage tend to be Utility, the first of which you will get at level 2, and they don't have durations in the hours. Abilities like Mount tend to be rituals, which you should get as a sorcerer. (They add more non-damage combat spells in later sources. Like more illusion/enchantment spells for wizards. Wizards get everything, always.)
I am thinking about going shaman, unless someone else wants to be leader.
ETA: For example, PHB2 offers Dragonflame Mantle as a Level 2 Utility Spell, which provides a temporary defensive bonus once per encounter. Level 6 has Sudden Scales which lets you sprout dragon scales once per encounter.
Joined: Sep 22, 2013 Posts: 11309 Location: Asleep at the wheel
Preferred Pronoun Set: SE / squinty / squints
Okay, got most of the "character sheet" done so far in a few posts above. Still need feats, but that's a lot of reading to do. And I've spent a lot of time working on it now, and I have to go to work. So... if anyone can review it and let me know if it looks okay? That's be awesome.
@squinty_eyes: I will take a look at your character in a little bit. If you want help with the math, I can plug it into the character builder and give you the character summary.
So far, we have a Sorcerer and a proposed Shaman. Having tossed around a couple ideas in my head, I think I am going to run with a Paladin. I will have the info posted shortly.
Spoiler
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ====== Navu'ai Marsalon, level 1 Half-Elf, Paladin Half-Elf Power Selection Option: Dilettante Birth - Blessed (+2 to Religion)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES STR 12, CON 14, DEX 12, INT 10, WIS 14, CHA 18
STARTING ABILITY SCORES STR 12, CON 12, DEX 12, INT 10, WIS 14, CHA 16
ITEMS Holy Symbol x1 Longsword x1 Plate Armor x1 Adventurer's Kit Bedroll Climber's Kit Light Shield ====== End ======
And now for some background and description.
Spoiler
If there is one thing that can be said about Navu'ai's beginnings, it is that he was born into the Church of the Raven Queen. The child of the human Astoria, a high-ranking priestess in the goddess's faith, and Yelo'ri Marsalon, an elf scholar devoted to thanatology and the Raven Queen's doctrine, Navu'ai was introduced to the Raven Queen's worship from the moment he entered the world. Raised at the goddess's temple and instructed by both his parents and the elders of the church, Navu'ai was afforded a good education, yet his willingness to learn exceeded his capacity for true excellence. A decent student, with a sound head on his shoulders, Navu'ai was nothing special in the eyes of his tutors, and even his parents were forced to admit that the boy's talents lay outside the classroom.
However, the boy possessed a remarkable judge of character for one so young. By the time he was ten, Navu'ai had the unnerving ability to sense dishonesty, surprise, and reluctance in those around him. Those around him felt as if he could gaze into their souls, so sharp was his insight. Navu'ai ended up making more than a few folks uncomfortable, and it was quickly passed around that one should not approach Navu'ai with falsehood or feigned interest. Astoria was especially pleased to see her son capable of assessing character with such alacrity. As he grew older, Navu'ai believed that the Raven Queen had a special destiny in store for him. Years of indoctrination, mass, ceremony, and routine had molded him into a fervent worshipper of the Raven Queen. His faith could not be shaken by his friends outside the church, who often mocked his devotion to such a grim goddess.
What he could not shrug off, however, was the sudden death of his father, who took ill and succumbed to fever within the span of a week. Navu'ai was devastated, and even his mother, whose faith in the will of her deity was absolute, could not hold back the tears of grief. Astoria fell into a depression and, to Navu'ai, seemed to become an entirely different person. It was as if she had become a revenant in this world, wearing the same face but possessed of only a shadow of her former strength. Navu'ai, for his part, became tormented by his blindness; he had assumed that the Raven Queen would be merciful to her own, but in the end, death knew no favor. Navu'ai grieved and wept, and his heart beat stronger, for ultimately, he came to accept that his father's time had come. Resolving to focus on the meaningfulness of his father's life, Navu'ai accepted what he could not change, and his loyalty to the Raven Queen endured.
Taking up the sword, Navu'ai began new studies, as a warrior of death. Under the tutelage of the Keepers of the Grave, an order of holy knights dedicated to the will of the goddess, the half-elf began a new chapter in his life as a paladin. Anointed in accordance with the church's rituals, Navu'ai's connection to the Raven Queen entered a new stage, in which he could feel the might of Lady Winter coursing through his veins. With such power came new clarity, and the young paladin believed that this was the dawn of his destiny. From here on out, he would no longer hide away in chapels, but would set forth into the world and actively further the agenda of the Raven Queen in this world.
Last edited by LordManshoon on Tue Sep 24, 2013 10:25 pm, edited 3 times in total.
I think there are still spots, so I'd like to play. I've only GMed 4E for several sessions before all our schedules and my grad school and their incessant whining about 4E being different from 3.5 ended the game, so I am still new.
ETA: Is there background we should know prior to creating characters?
I'm going to add a "vote on the adventure into" above. Please take a look at it everyone.
The hook will not effect your XP and doesnt not force you into any certain encounters or actions. But is simply a backstory as to why your group is heading to Winterhaven.
_________________
"Life is like a Dungeon Master, if it smiles at you something terrible is probably about to happen."
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