Character creation

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Mar 5, 2026 8:43 pm
I've approved Kazzak Thunderblood, also. The only edit I made was to indicate that he's a Mountain Dwarf. Everything else looks good.

I've approved each of the other characters, too: Antonius, Sora, Amnestria, and Dell.

Now I'll create a thread for quick narrative introducing characters and describing how they arrived at Hochoch.
Mar 7, 2026 7:12 pm
With my humblest apologies for the late delivery, Berthold of Dunsvale is complete, I believe. Could you please let me know if the background is okay for you, @spaceseeker19 ? I ended up swapping Charisma and strength stats, so he has 16 STR and only 15 CHA, instead of 13 and 18. It will increase his survivability, I guess. I also opted for taking two martial weapons (longsword and heavy crossbow) and buying a shield (for 10gp). He also has a mace, and 15gp in his purse, rather than 25. I should actually also buy quarrels and other necessities.

I believe he would have come to Orlane following the whispers of his extraplanar guide. I'd assume that he has lost his horse (and lance) due to unfortunate events on the road.

I've provided a rather strange back-story for his trinket : a rope collar with four mummified elven fingers. I hope it works for you, Spaceseeker19.

This is how I've named his retinue :
- Reynald (human male), squire (the fourth child of a neighbouring fiefdom trying to incur favour from the Dunsdale; a competent and devoted lad,
- Olyena, servant, a female gnomish servant of the Dunsdale, who cares for his clothes and gear, and who grew up with Berthold.
- Guilbert, groom / messenger : a rather dim-witted fellow, but also a childhood companion. Strong and fast enough to bear weight when needed or to run off to deliver messages.

The squire can be non-combatant, I have no intention of using him as a henchman in combat. However, in the explanation of the Noble (Knight) background, it is stated :
Quote:
If you wish to be a knight, choose the Retainers feature (see the sidebar) instead of the Position of Privilege feature. One of your commoner retainers is replaced by a noble who serves as your squire, aiding you in exchange for training on his or her own path to knighthood. Your two remaining retainers might include a groom to care for your horse and a servant who polishes your armor (and even helps you put it on).
If you prefer that there be no squire, we'll have him be a page, no worries. If he were to be a squire, he could perhaps have a leather jerkin, a shield and a shortsword... but that's really up to you, DM.
OOC:
Forgot my motivation roll… revenge it is, will have to mix it in.
Last edited March 7, 2026 10:24 pm

Rolls

Motivation roll - (1d6)

(2) = 2

Mar 7, 2026 7:55 pm
I changed one of my expertise from thieves tools to stealth. I think stealth is very important to Dell's job.
Mar 8, 2026 12:56 am
If it's all right, I'd like to spend 5 of my starting gold and buy 10 days' worth of rations, plus 5 silver to buy a lamp.
Mar 8, 2026 3:04 am
mathias0077 says:
I changed one of my expertise from thieves tools to stealth. I think stealth is very important to Dell's job.
Sure, that's fine. We haven't started with these new PCs yet.
CancerMan says:
If it's all right, I'd like to spend 5 of my starting gold and buy 10 days' worth of rations, plus 5 silver to buy a lamp.
Yes, that makes sense to me: she needs light to read, after all.
Mar 8, 2026 3:30 am
matmaisan says:
Could you please let me know if the background is okay for you, @spaceseeker19?
I like it. I would suggest one wrinkle: that Stellan was Berthold's great-granduncle, rather than grandfather. That would allow for Berthold's grandfather to have claimed the title in a shocking outmaneuvering of his cousin, Stellan's misbegotten son...which also allows for the family's lingering fear that a cousin from that original line will show up to challenge the succession as "rightful" Dunsdale heir.
matmaisan says:
I ended up swapping Charisma and strength stats, so he has 16 STR and only 15 CHA, instead of 13 and 18.
That's fine. Again, we haven't started playing with these PCs yet. I'm fine with changes to the characters up until that point.

I believe he would have come to Orlane following the whispers of his extraplanar guide. I'd assume that he has lost his horse (and lance) due to unfortunate events on the road.
matmaisan says:
I've provided a rather strange back-story for his trinket : a rope collar with four mummified elven fingers. I hope it works for you, Spaceseeker19.
Yes! I like to think the fingers are from Rillyard's hot-headed but lovable younger brother, who might still be alive somewhere, disfigured and wandering.
matmaisan says:
This is how I've named his retinue :
- Reynald (human male), squire (the fourth child of a neighbouring fiefdom trying to incur favour from the Dunsdale; a competent and devoted lad,
- Olyena, servant, a female gnomish servant of the Dunsdale, who cares for his clothes and gear, and who grew up with Berthold.
- Guilbert, groom / messenger : a rather dim-witted fellow, but also a childhood companion. Strong and fast enough to bear weight when needed or to run off to deliver messages.
Guilbert is human, or...?

Reynald is fine. I originally objected to the idea of a squire because a squire is explicitly the position that a noble-born youth attains after serving a knight as a page for years, when the page is judged ready to fight at the knight's side...essentially no longer a servant but an apprentice knight. Since the servants are non-combatants, I balked. But we can say that Berthold calls him a squire out of affection, rather than that is Reynald's actual role.

I like the dynamic of the knight having too many servants with overlapping duties, and the interactions made possible by the situations that may arise because of it.
Mar 9, 2026 1:07 pm
spaceseeker19 says:
I like it. I would suggest one wrinkle: that Stellan was Berthold's great-granduncle, rather than grandfather. That would allow for Berthold's grandfather to have claimed the title in a shocking outmaneuvering of his cousin, Stellan's misbegotten son...which also allows for the family's lingering fear that a cousin from that original line will show up to challenge the succession as "rightful" Dunsdale heir.
Great idea, will integrate that into the background.
spaceseeker19 says:
Yes! I like to think the fingers are from Rillyard's hot-headed but lovable younger brother, who might still be alive somewhere, disfigured and wandering.
Oh, that adds interesting complications. Great!
spaceseeker19 says:
Guilbert is human, or...?
I'd say human. At least that's what I had in mind.

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