The Fate of Castle Berubiam [DnD 5e] [Horror] [Apocalyptic] [Closed]

[Caitlin]

Looks very interesting, will get something up in the next day.  Any particular class I should make?  Have a few concepts, nothing concrete yet. 

Right now all the classes are still open, however, there seems to be more interest in melee classes than there is in casters right now. I'll announce the first set of accepted characters tomorrow evening. Considering the interest, I think it makes sense to go for an ideal role balance. If there are any roles left after the first announcement, then I'll make an announcement which roles we're still looking for and which classes would best fit that role.

[Chulanowa]

I think we really need a Cleric.

I'm strongly leaning that way, or Warlock. I need to get my brain in order first, though

[towerhouse]

No, the character may have been born originally in Shroudhallow, but it can't be a refugee and must come from one of the five villages. Those people are too traumatized to be of any use in combat and the ones who could fight already stayed behind to aid the defense of the village. If one of those fled first only to return later then it wouldn't end well for that character. You may also have relatives living in Shroudhallow, but you must have at least 1 direct living relative in one of the other five villages too.

As far as art though; anything but anime works. I'm a big fan of the art you see in the PHB, so that style would be awesome, but cosplay/ real images are also fine. I have a dislike of anime images in general though, they pull you too much out of the suspension of disbelief.
I'm a big fan of Human (Variant) when I play a character myself, so yes, they're allowed. ;)
They're one of the PHB races so I don't see a reason why I shouldn't allow them.
It'd be nice to see either a Bard or a Wizard in the party, so far nobody created a character sheet yet for either. AngelicFaith is working on a Rogue.
Ranger is still open too, nobody took that one yet. :-)

Sounds good cause I seem to have fallen in love with a cosplay image. I’m a little confused about the state of berubiam. I assume the same fate has befallen the capital city as well?  I was thinking a soldier from the dwarven city currently based in a human city.  Would berubiam be appropriate?

[Caitlin]

Shroudhallow/ Berubiam/ Berubiam Castle are all off limits because of the story. People in general have no clue what's going on there and all contact with those cities and the castle is lost. Your character may be born in either of those 3 places, but currently they have to be living elsewhere. To add to this, people who are currently in those places are unable to have been recruited from one of the 5 villages, it'd more or less kill the entire story to allow otherwise.

The only possible exception that I can make to this is when a character in the story drops out and we need a replacement character while the party already reached one of those places. At the moment, however, nobody knows what's going on at Shroudhallow, Berubiam, or Castle Berubiam. I wanted to give people some options from where they came from, which was I created 5 other villages in the campaign that basically cover all options. :-)

I think in your case Westfall would be an appropriate alternative, it has a similar population size to Berubiam, but it's not in the current danger zone. The population is also mostly human there, although the other races mingle there just as well. In fact, Westfall has 60% humans while Berubiam only has 50%.

[Rhadiance]

Link to approved updated CS

[Caitlin]

To confirm; a druid staff can indeed double as a quarterstaff. The druid staff costs 5 gp and the quarterstaff costs 2 sp, so I don't see any issue with this.

People are free to pick Human (Variant), but you can also take regular Human. Generally speaking, Human (Variant) is seen as the better of those two options because of the feat, but if people prefer regular human then that's fine with me too. On a personal note, I'd take the variant version myself between the two since it offers more versatality in general.

[AndyZ]

Character name: Aryl Starfire
Character sheet: https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1375059

Background story: In the proud city of Arrowhost, it is said that the stars properly aligned through the trees for the wedding of the Starflower and Firestorm families.  The newly formed Starfire family had three children: Mindartis, Aryl, and Trisanira.

When Aryl was only a few decades old, Mindartis was gifted with a vision from Levain.  Trisanira would grow ill and die unless she received water from a sacred spring hundreds of miles to the north.  Together with his parents, the oldest child Mindartis led the way, while Aryl cared for his youngest sister as best he knew how.  The family never had much, but they had horses, basic knowledge of magic, and determination.

Years later, only Mindartis returned.  Aryl never learned what happened, but indeed Trisanira had grown ill.  The waterskin from which she drank seemed like only water, and Mindartis had a look in his eyes which promised that he understood everything.  Then he climbed the tallest tree in Berubiam, proclaimed himself to be a god, and plummeted to his death.

Aryl never understood his brother's madness, but he holds no faith in the gods which allowed such insanity to happen.  Trisanira did not recover, but as she grew older, her illness didn't get much worse.  She remains in Arrowhost, learning the various arts and earning her way as a bard.

When Aryl knew that his sister was safe enough, he set off into the temple of Levain in search of answers, only to find the place besieged by bandits.  A priest had called down fire and destroyed one of them, and that was enough for Aryl to grab a blade and help in finishing them off.  One of the priestesses was especially grateful, healing his wounds and offering her condolences for his family, and some of the bandits had more than enough armor and weaponry that he was able to claim some for himself.

After that, things changed.  He started heading out, looking for ways to fix the problems of society now that he knew that the gods didn't have all the answers.  Over the course of decades, he's done all sorts of things from slaying invading goblins to securing the roads, and many people in the villages recognize him on sight.

Although often flirtatious to pretty girls, he's respectful to most people, but he also doesn't mind frightening evildoers with his name and reputation.  He makes no demands for the assistance he offers, but he's much more apt to stop at places where the wine flows freely and the women seek more than just his name.

Sometimes he goes back to Arrowhost to visit his sister and tells her of all the journeys and things he's done.  She says that it's helpful to her and she can see the splendors through his eyes, but no magic he's ever discovered has been able to make her well enough for travel.  Someday they both want the chance to get her to Lakefield, but for now, it's been enough to get tutors to care for her and nobility to watch over her as she regales everyone with her tales of her brother's glory.

[Rhadiance]

I've made a small edit to my character's stats and background based on Caitlin's suggestions.

[Chulanowa]

Will hopefully have hte Warlock / cleric ready to go sometime tonight!

[Caitlin]

Will hopefully have hte Warlock / cleric ready to go sometime tonight!

If you really can't decide between the two, then make both. I'll only accept one at most, but it gives me more options to work with. :-)

[towerhouse]

Character name: Talis Vorehengal
Character sheet: https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1371481

Background story:
Talis was a proud member of the Eagle Tribe that lived in the wilds between Westfall and Brittleburgh.  His tribe was mostly peaceful, respecting nature above all, although they had a reputation to be extremely lethal when push comes to shove.  He wanted to be a warrior growing up, and was taught of the value of dying in a glorious battle.  He honed his craft in the wilds.  Due to times of peace, he longed to make a mark for himself.  With the blessings of the tribe, he left and joined the city guard in Westfall.  There were few that could deny his talent, though it was hard for him to fit in with the other soldiers. 

It was in a routine round in the alleys of Westfall when him and his partner were ambushed by local rogues.  The ambush was quick and efficient leaving them both dead.  Upon his death, his body was brought back to his tribe for a proper burial.  The druid prophesied that his time had not come, and he shall not leave this world in a dishonorable death.  In such, the decision was not lightly made for Talis to be reincarnated.  Indeed, the Gods granted the reincarnation, though the race and gender would be at random. 

Her new form was that of a half-elf maiden.  Upon awakening, she felt the pall of regret for her dishonorable death, and was driven to prove herself worthy of the second chance.  Not even giving herself the opportunity to reacquaint herself, she jumped at the opportunity when it was heard of the troubles in the east.  She returned to Westfall that very night, with her captain not believing a word of what was said about her reincarnation.  Not easily put off, she is determined to help the villages in the current crisis.

[eBadger]

Character name: Dr. Oswald Fullton-Zambreevlevox
Character sheet: https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1374969

"Oi, you brats, get off me garden!  ...Aye, I ken see perfectly well yer leg be broken.  Two centuries of medical study have taught me it ain't supposed t' bend in that direction, for all the respect that warrants.  No excuse to destroy a man's squash.  Well, come in then, I suppose.  Cuppa?  Eh?  Aye, we've been o'er the blasted leg, it's broke, but th' tea has been on to steep and isn't spoilt yet, so seems a damn fool thing to make two things go wrong.  Come all this way from town, 'spect you'll live another five minutes.  Sugar?  Cream?  Aye, fine, fine, I'll look at the blasted leg.  Hmm.  Ah.  Turn a bit.  Other way.  Well, it's broken, as we've already established, so that was well worth your impatient gripes t' look at it, eh?  Now shut up and drink your tea, the whining is putting the flavor off mine.  Lads were made o' sterner stuff in my day.  When McFinnigus took an ogre's ax to the stomach, he stuffed his own guts back in and kept on fighting.   ...Well, of course he didn't live, he had to stuff his own guts back in!  Are ye daft, lad?  Bah, poppy juice should have kicked in by now.  ...Well, of course I drugged ye.  Least ya should expect after steppin' on a man's dinner.  May also help as we set th' bones.  Spells?  Magic?  Eh, aye, I've a knack 'er two, but there are problems wi' such.  First, only so much of it.  When Bizzlekin came yesterday, hand caught in the thresher, did I say 'Oh, tough lot, set some twit's leg this morning, come back on th' morrow'?  And what's more, y'don't learn naught.  Three months in a cast, you'll think twice next time ya try impressin' th' neighbor lass."


Background story: Oswald wouldn't define himself as a priest; he is a practitioner of the science of divinical medicine.  His holy tomes are lists of ailments and remedies, detailed anatomical diagrams and treatises on theoretical biology.  He is certainly a tool of Levain, but hardly a sniveling minion.  Both he and the god have better things to do, thank you very much. 

Oswald spent his youth as a mercenary, eager for glory and riches.  Brash, daring and hungry for fame, he served with a company of mercenaries through years of warfare.  His mother was a midwife; he'd grown up in the forest, familiar with the herbs and plants she'd needed, so he found himself assigned a billet as assistant to the company surgeon.  Oswald learned to heal men and to kill them, and both eroded his impetuous idealism.  Life was precious, but fragile; and while it helped to have the god's favor, it was better not to rely on it.  Eventually, weary of chasing honor and wealth and finding death and misery, Oswald returned home to Lakefield where he soon married his childhood love, Martha.  Their relationship was sweet, but short; disease snatched her away after only two decades together. 

Facing a crisis, Oswald grew gruff and terse.  He became a recluse in the family home, a comfortable old den beneath the roots of an ironwood oak outside of town.  But his anger could only turn inward; he knew the reason he'd lost friends and love had been his own failing.  He was not good enough.  And so, scowling, glaring, sometimes snarling, he gathered up his savings and set out again: this time to learn the art of medicine.  He scrounged, copied, and in one case even stole tomes of knowledge.  He enrolled in classes, apprenticed, swept floors and mucked stalls to pay his tuition. 

It wasn't the proper training of a cleric, but it held much in common.  There was no worship of Levain, but there was respect and no lack of dedication and service to the god's domain.  When Oswald first channeled divine magic it simply felt natural, a new talent but no different than borrowing his mentor's fine mithril bone saw.  At last, his studies completed, Oswald returned again to Lakefield and set up a practice, settling slowly into an odd but comfortable niche.  He is still half-hermit.  But he's become a well respected and even somewhat loved curmudgeon, a skilled healer that never asks more than a family can afford, a grouchy uncle who always brings his niece Tilda gifts, and a proud old warrior always among the volunteers to deal with a rabid bear, goblin infestation or violent outlaw.  By the time the mayors had made a decision, Oswald was already packed up and ready. 

Description: Aged but still robust, Oswald possesses the dignity of years and the health of a man used to living on his own in the woods, with all the manual labor that entails.  He dresses well but simply, with a sense of dignity devoid of vanity that requires care but not embellishment, or else bears the same arms and armor from his youth, antiques worn and cared for over the last century and a half.  Although fundamentally kind, Oswald's good will is sometimes hard to spot beneath his gruff, abrupt and sometimes rude demeanor.  He enjoys quiet, manners, tea and reading.  Grief and self doubt haunt Oswald, driving him to greatness but robbing him of any pleasure in it.

   

   

Family: A younger brother, Benjamin, and his wife Elle, run a clothiers in Lakefield: the Fizzlewicks-Zambreevlevox Emporium for the Well Dressed Individual Who's Not Into All That Ostentatious Nonsense From Down South (the last bit was added on 50 years ago, but seems to've stuck, as it's much catchier in Gnomish).  They are hardworking, honest, kind, and dull as an iron pot.  However, their daughter Tilda is a bright flame of life and chaos, a budding young magician sure to make a mark on the world if she can survive to adulthood despite herself.  Oswald doesn't understand her a bit, but loves her with all his heart. 

Mount: Piddlewinks Biscuitbane is a trained riding mastiff, a bit past his prime but still in good health.  A mauling in his youth (under a previous, now deceased owner) left the dog deaf as a post and blind in one eye, but Oswald insists he's an excellent watchdog with adequate taste in tea. 

[avarus]

Character name: Sofia Vanderwalle
Character sheet: www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1374581

Background story:
All humans are born, such is the nature of humans. For Sofia this occurred in a tavern called ‘The Golden Peacock’ in Berubiam, daughter to a tavern maid named Ellia and a local noble named Vanderwalle. Although never acknowledged  as his child her ancestry was hardly a secret. Under his distant protection she grew up in and around the tavern, leading a sheltered life. Already from a young age she tended tables, learned to play several instruments in order to entertain the guests, dancing and starred as the child star in small plays hosted at the tavern.

It was a simple life until the untimely demise of her distant father, dying as he stumbled, fell and was crushed underneath a cart. Whispering tongues still blame the son, bent on inheriting his father’s heritage prematurely. Bent on eliminating all potential threats to his newfound wealth he then proceeded to chase Sofia, still his half-sister, from town with the aid of a small group of mercenaries. Thrown out of town with not even clothes on her back, and told never to return on the pain of death, Sofia made her way to Shroudhallow.

It was time to start her new life. In order to survive she first sold her services at the inns in Shroudhallow, both bodily and artistically until her stocks had grown enough to travel to Lakefield where she enrolled in one of the bard’s schools, further honing her skills from autodidact to learned. Having learned to write she began to send letters to her mother, to which she actually received responses. Still alive and working in The Golden Peacock the two find themselves separated by Sofia’s inability to return due to her half-brother and her mother’s inability to travel due to a lack of funds and work.

Desperate for adventure after finishing her education she joined one of the trading ships to reach a new world to explore, only to return two years later very disillusioned. What should have been a journey full of wonder she found herself immediately recruited as the ships entertainment as the ship’s crew mutinied and turned pirate. Finally staging a successful escape after two years Sofia managed to book passage back to Lakefield, returning once again penniless. With a life of ups and downs behind her she now settled once again in Lakefield, using her skills as a bard again to return to her previous status and wealth as she struck out to the nearby villages every so often to perform in the establishments there. However, fearing for her mother’s life with the latest developments in Berubiam castle she once again dusted off her old armour and rapier, ready to roll the dice and return to Berubiam, heeding the call of the mayors.

Personality:
Able to exhibit extremes of the emotional spectrum she always finds herself looking for pleasure, stories, lore and knowledge. Absolutely excelling under the gaze of an individual or crowd she exhibits her abilities as a bard not just as a means to accumulate bullion, but also because it excites her to be the centre of attention. Always she finds new places to perform she uses the magic of her music to attract greater crowds. Around these crowds she finds new ideas, new rumours and new lore. Which is why she often finds herself returning to Lakefield where the constant influx of ships also means a constant influx of ideas, stories, new people and fresh audiences.

When interacting with other people she is the definition of charm itself, augmented by her magical abilities and physical appearance. Readily she exploits this when possible, weaving her way through crowds and foes, preferring to find the non-violent solution when possible. And usually that solution is only a strum on the lute away.

Appearance:
Well, endowed, the woman usually finds the eyes of the crowd upon her even before she starts playing. Usually donning a simple dress of white, grey and blue it is her flaming red hair and eyes of icy blue that attracts attention of the crowd from the other side of the room. Other than the dress she has a few costumes for specific performances. A bard can after all never do without enough clothes. For the real adventuring she however has actual tight fitting leather armour, complemented by a rapier on one hip, a dagger on the other and her lute slung over her back. For one never knows what lurks next to the road.

[Revelation]

Would it be a bit too on the nose to have undead as a favored enemy? Naturally it seems like we'd be dealing with them a lot, and level 1 is the only chance there there really is to get undead as a favored enemy. I can go with humdrum humanoids instead if it's too game-breaking or the likes.

[DeviantMunster]

It's like they just don't want Rangers to be fun! Talking about UA.

They really ought to have included a damage boost for A favored enemy, then allowed you to eventually pick two other groups (like non UA) that conferred the flavor stuff. Really restrictive, ouch.

Frankly, if this had been a Fey campaign, it'd be maybe a little meta-gamey to pick Fey (due to there being like, what, 5 types? No one picks fey!). But Undead is one of the better choices even before UA, with a wide, wide spread of types encompassing every CR - you're always going to come across it. With only Monstrosities (in most opinions!) as the other really great pick, since it has a huuuuge range of creatures that it encompasses too! Even more so.

Beasts is also prolific, but generally they're always filler outside of some creative jungle/forest/Conan like campaign. With Fiends making up the majority of mid/end bosses!

S-strictly in a munchkin-like breakdown. Most rangers generally picked Un. or Mon., outside of choosing Humanoids. Before UA came out, anyway!

[Revelation]

It's like they just don't want Rangers to be fun! Talking about UA.

They really ought to have included a damage boost for A favored enemy, then allowed you to eventually pick two other groups (like non UA) that conferred the flavor stuff. Really restrictive, ouch.

Frankly, if this had been a Fey campaign, it'd be maybe a little meta-gamey to pick Fey (due to there being like, what, 5 types? No one picks fey!). But Undead is one of the better choices even before UA, with a wide, wide spread of types encompassing every CR - you're always going to come across it. With only Monstrosities (in most opinions!) as the other really great pick, since it has a huuuuge range of creatures that it encompasses too! Even more so.

Beasts is also prolific, but generally they're always filler outside of some creative jungle/forest/Conan like campaign. With Fiends making up the majority of mid/end bosses!

S-strictly in a munchkin-like breakdown. Most rangers generally picked Un. or Mon., outside of choosing Humanoids. Before UA came out, anyway!

Humanoid, Monstrosity, and beast are all easy enough options to slide into any ranger archetype. The other three are definitely a little more focused yet undead just covers so much - from spooky skeletons to vampires and liches, it's hard not to want to pick it. Both because it'd be a potentially strong mechanical option and it makes sense for fluff. Mostly, I just want to make sure my favored enemy choice would be useful - like, actually useful. Less 'Let's put some <favored enemies> in the session to make the ranger feel like he didn't make a bad choice' and more like 'Well, this is one of the core ranger features. It should feel great to have!' know what I mean?

[DeviantMunster]

Mhm. It may be 'on the nose', as you put it. Buy frankly, what else were you going to pick was my point? Monstrosities, beasts or undead are the only real 'viable' picks if you want to feel useful. Yush.

[Revelation]

Mhm. It may be 'on the nose', as you put it. Buy frankly, what else were you going to pick was my point? Monstrosities, beasts or undead are the only real 'viable' picks if you want to feel useful. Yush.

Humanoids would be my second choice since humanoids are so ubiquitous. But i'm mostly just askin' to make sure my choice is a good one in the end. At least it's not as bad as 3.x rangers were, where you'd pick something like Goblins as favored enemy and bloop - past the first few levels you'd probably never see those buggers again.

[Caitlin]

Would it be a bit too on the nose to have undead as a favored enemy? Naturally it seems like we'd be dealing with them a lot, and level 1 is the only chance there there really is to get undead as a favored enemy. I can go with humdrum humanoids instead if it's too game-breaking or the likes.

Actually, I was expecting a ranger to take it up as favored enemies. ;)

I'll send you a pm with a bit more information and some questions from my end.

[Revelation]

Actually, I was expecting a ranger to take it up as favored enemies. ;)

I'll send you a pm with a bit more information and some questions from my end.

Fire away!

[Caitlin]

DM announcement: I'm going to approve the first set of characters in about 9 - 10 hours from now. I've checked all the sheets already and offered some corrections where things were missing, but I'll be honest, I haven't fully checked the equipment section yet for each character sheet since it involves quite a bit of looking stuff up. I may still send a pm about that part when your character gets accepted.

Everybody who is interested in joining this game, please try to have your sheet posted here in the coming hours, it'd give me enough time to check your sheet and send you a pm if things still need to get fixed. If can't fill all the character roles in the story yet, then you may still get a chance of joining the game in the second round, but your chances are best with the first round.

[Revelation]

Character name: Michael Fields
Character sheet: https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1375596

Background story:
Born in Westfall, Michael was an only child. Born to members of the town guard, it was expected that he’d follow in their footsteps and join a comfy life of peace – aside from hunting the stray wolves or other animals and perhaps dealing with the errant thief in the town. Of course, his family was not wrong in his profession… But perhaps they were not expecting of his actual dedication to the role. When he was not training with a bow and arrow, or with a blade growing up he was playing with the other children, showing that he was not just eager, but skilled. And when not in play, he was reading. Old and somewhat forbidden books about heroes hunting horrors. Saving damsels and earning titles of nobility or perhaps even the hand of the woman they rescued. While not quite a knight, these stories (Especially the ones about horrible beasts from beyond the grave) struck a chord in the young man, and to earn him a staunch desire to help those who had chosen less dangerous professions and preferred the more idyllic life that Westfall provided for them.

Of course, he wasn’t about to go and gallivant alone, nor did he really expect trouble in the sleepy little town he had been born and raised in. While he didn’t chafe at the idea of… Well, a simple life. Part of him always hoped for more. Then again, maybe it was best if he never got a taste of what he wanted? He could have easily lived a fairly peaceful life, picked out a pretty farmgirl to woo, and lived as a hunter despite training as a guardsman – he did make quite the effective scout, eschewing heavy armor and weaponry for a sturdy bow and using his alacrity to move through the woods without issue.

But with the recent stories from Shroudhallow and the talk of bandits and roving war bands, it appeared that peace was no longer the only thing that life would offer him. Not a fool by any means, he had every desire to help how he could – but he knew that he couldn’t do it alone. To that end, he petitioned the mayor of Westfall to send him out, if nothing else any group investigating these rumors could certainly use a skilled archer and tracker, could they not?

[Caitlin]

Considering the current published characters; the only thing the game is really lacking for a good balance would be a support caster/ damage dealer. In particular mages would make a great addition, although sorcerers or warlocks could also add nicely to the mix. If anyone else is interested in joining the game, then consider creating one of those characters. I'm actually kind of surprised that there aren't any mages, sorcerers, or warlocks yet. Typically, multiple of those sign up for a game. :-)

[Chulanowa]

-Spazzes and pencils go flying everywhere-

Ahem. What i meant to say, is that I'll hopefully have something of that order fleshed out tomorrow

[Caitlin]

I'm looking forward to whatever you can conjure up. :D

If I can fill all the party roles already, then the game will start tomorrow for sure. I wrote the majority of my IC introduction post already and I just have to change minor details left and right.