Adventurers Wanted! The Games must go on! (D&D 5e)

Started by Inerrant Lust, March 02, 2015, 09:48:46 PM

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CeruleanSerenity

No reason we can't have both!

I'll probably go with my cleric idea, then. Hopefully I can finish it all up tonight, when I have more time.

ExisD

#51
Alright, here's what I've gotten so far for my idea.



Magdalena Condoleezza Deforest (a.k.a. Mags)
Race: Half-Elf
Class: Fey-pact Warlock
Background: Noble

Appearance: Mags has always been told that she needs to dress for her station and always be impressive, in more than just her chest size. She keeps her very long red hair tied back whenever she's doing anything physically exerting and made sure to pick out an outfit that was both practically armored, but also capable of being very sexy when damaged. This is much easier to accomplish than it would normally be due to selecting weaker fabric for her undershirt and leggings, while her corset and jacket are properly armored.

Backstory: Mags was born the fifth child of a pair of minor nobles, both half-elves. Her elder brothers would inherit the family lands and her sisters had their choices of acceptable suitors with expensive dowries. She on the other hand would've had to accept whoever her parents could find if she didn't find a means of providing for herself.

Thankfully for her, an opportunity came on the eve of her seventeenth birthday. She had gone for a ride through the nearby forest and happened upon a magical lake. The fey spirits within dragged the girl off of her horse and introduced themselves in a very intimate manner. They offered many things, the most important of which was magical power. So long as she agreed to return to them every year, she would enjoy the blessings of the fae.

She accepted immediately.

For the next several years Mags would practice her magic, made heavy use of her parent's scrying sphere to watch the adventuring competitions, and return to the mystic pond for more tutelage. As the years passed her understanding grew, and with it her desire to leave her house behind and go off into the wilds to make her own fame. Eventually the secret of just what she had been doing on all of her trips to the forest came out and her decision was made for her. She had embarrassed her family and was no longer suited to be a proper wife, that meant her time had come.

She set out to find fame and fortune by the end of the week.

Of course, fame and fortune are hard to find, even if you know the names of all of the major producers and personally knew a few thanks to her family. Just knowing the names wasn't quite enough to get out of the silly newbie quests though.

Her first one was so stereotypical it almost hurt, go into this guys basement and kill the massive number of giant rats living in it. Considering almost all of her magical talents were focused on manipulating people, this was actually a very threatening challenge. In the end, she pulled through and completed the task with only a few bits and one long rip of her leggings.

The second was a bit worse. Take out a den of thieves, everything was going great until am enchantment she placed on the front guard wore off too soon. He grabbed a hold of her and nearly tore her clothing of by the time she put him down. The next thieves made their appreciation of her torn blouse known and received a blast of arcane energy to the face for their troubles.

Mags didn't care about showing skin so much as she cared about how it happened. If her top had been torn narrowly avoiding a strike that was one thing, but to forget how long her spell lasted? That was inexcusable.

She did put out feelers for potential partners after that particular issue, especially focusing on people who could watch her back or stand in front and take blows.

DomJoe

#52
Welp, I might as well post my character, since everyone else is. There still is a bit of tweaking going on, but for now the core parts are finished.

Shala Sunbreeze (Character Sheet)

Appearance


Background: Shala was born into a family of martial artists (a mother, a father, and eventually a younger brother), ones who upheld a dojo known for its nature-based martial arts. It was also well known for some questionable commands and practices, including practicing with little to no clothing, as well as the "true expression of one's body". Despite these tenants, many who practiced at the dojo were upstanding fighters, learning how to improve themselves naturally. Shala would eagerly practice alongside her mother and father, and become a fierce martial artist herself, ready to take over the dojo when she came of age.

As time passed, her mother would die from an illness, and less and less people would start coming to the dojo to seek the easy fame and fortune that came from being an adventurer. It became harder and harder to seek out students who were able to handle the vigorous training, and who weren't just there to leer at the other practitioners. Shala eventually took over for her old man, but her presence did little to change things. Finally, she resorted to a desperate tactic: she would become an adventurer herself in order to promote her dojo, and raise enough money to keep it in business. She left the dojo in her brother's care, and set off to hopefully bring the dojo to fame and glory...

The Major Tenants of the Sunbreeze Dojo

1. Freedom of body, freedom of soul.
2. Denial and deception begets destruction.
3. Practice the true expression of one's body.
4. Indulgence corrupts the body; take only what you need to survive.
5. Perfection is the journey, not the destination.

rikka

Ack! Forgot to bookmark this! Looks like it's going into full gear.  Still room for one more?
Whatever the outcome, it's on you.

Ons/Offs

Kunoichi

Quote from: rikka on March 04, 2015, 07:17:48 PM
Ack! Forgot to bookmark this! Looks like it's going into full gear.  Still room for one more?

From what the DM has said, I think it's not a first-come, first-serve thing.  So yes, there should still be more room. ^^

Inerrant Lust

Ack. I'm going over the whole thread as I figure out what to do... But what I would really like right now is for another DM to work beside, if I have as many players as it seems like I do. I don't want to refuse anyone, especially with all these awesome ideas... I will lay them out now so I can keep track.

DomJoe (Shala Sunbreeze, Wood-elf Monk)
ExisD (Magdalena 'Mags' Condoleezza Deforest, Half-elf Warlock)
Kunoichi (Euphemia 'Yuffi-hama' Lovelace, Hobling Rogue)
ThatOneShrroth (Fighter or... Cleric?)
CeruleanSerenity (Barbarian/Fighter or Wizard or Sorcerer..or Cleric?)
Etherealgirl (Elf Rogue or Druid)
Autocad (Warlock or Sorcerer)
Rhaegar14 (Fighter/Warlock or Ranger)

Laughing Hyena (Half-elf Fighter? Or Orc fighter. :P)

Okay... I'll go in reverse order for my responses;

Rikka; feel free to apply. I honestly am always looking to see more ideas, and I never refuse anyone for being too late to the game until I've decided on the groups. I see a few pairings of characters could work... but as you can see, there's also a lot of overlap- I can't very well put all the warlocks in the same group. :P

DomJoe; I am always somewhat reluctant about nudist characters. While this is a world built on somewhat a silly premise, it's not inherently silly. :P Adventuring is pretty much just television- and there are 'quests' geared towards kids and adults alike. I figure the PCs would be more mainstream, with a wide appeal. Though a few 'adult' scryings might circulate... their main fare comes from the masses. That, and outside of things like pornographic Games, people still have a sense of modesty and walking around in the nude would be considered a minor crime in most places. Even the Union, which is very liberal with sexuality, keeps it inside the Temple doors... ;) The aesthetic of the games IS very sexualized in many cases. There is an enchantment for armor that pretty much validates the trope. Many adventures are as sexualized as they can get without going into pornographic territory (intentionally, at least) because it sells.

All that being said, I love the premise and the backstory. It is exactly the sort of character I was hoping to attract- someone normally 'too serious' for the Games, one who uses their fighting ability for actual combat and not showy displays... but nontheless has to participate in the accomplishment of some end. I was hoping there would be a prim knight or a paladin that would be persuaded to wear a thong for the crowd, but as Shala is already something of a nudist- that's not so much a possibility. :P

ExisD: You always pick the strangest names.. :P But yeah, I should note there is a custom enchantment to armor that basically allows in-universe for it to be as revealing as needed, while retaining its properties. Many sponsors will probably buy this armor for their adventurers at no cost to them.. But yes, I like it. Though I do somewhat miss Ivette as well. ;)

CeruleanSerenity, Etherealgirl: Nobody else has offered a cleric or druid..  ::)

AndyZ: I would say propose an idea anyways. At the moment, I don't feel particularly comfortable with picking out any groups just yet.

Chulanowa: A lot of the monster races commonly associated with goblinoids and orcs and such already live in the Theocratic Union, the far east of the civilized world. Bordering that, the wildlands are host to a lot of monstrous humanoids or other mythological-type creatures. It's the fringe of the world and constantly the source of fresh adventures. People would be going there all the time to look for dragons, find new and exotic locales, or bring back creatures to breed for local adventures... centaurs included.

That being said, I don't know how I'd be able to gracefully handle a centaur in social settings. All them feets. :P The last time, schnookums briefly played a half-minotaur girl from those lands.

Autocad: Sounds wonderful. But the question is... is she really a magical girl or is it just her on-screen persona? These kinds of things, having a tie-in to the world's particular shtick, are what I am really looking for.

Rhaegar14: I would say.. we already do have a lot of warlocks. But I love the deal with the devil shtick. It is very much a thing I imagined would happen in this setting. A lot of people start doing more and more desperate things to maintain their celebrity status or become successful. There ARE 'underground' scryings which are basically gladiatorial deathmatches... just as there are adventures which is pretty much porn (To the extent that the adventurers are hired for the sex and the battles are terribly staged and full of kay-fabe.)

Laughing Hyena: Go for it. The orc idea, I mean. I think the Union is very slow to publicly support the Games, believing that they are a distraction from proper worship. The common people might already be all over it, but the clergy is hesitant. I am thinking that it is just beginning to have state-sponsored adventurers. Of course, a lot of them will be perfect examples of what 'proper' citizens ought to be. That doesn't mean that unaffiliated greenskins aren't already quite numerous in Gaming.

Kunoichi: You already know how I feel about the shortstacks. But yeah, the advertizement in the original post is not neccessarily the 'canon' thing that got everyone involved into the campaign, but it was there just to establish the setting and the tone I was going for. That being said, Yuffi seems like just the sort of character who would pounce on that sort of opportunity. :P

I should note, we might actually need more male submissions...  ::)

Phew... Did I miss anything?

ExisD

Quote from: Inerrant Lust on March 04, 2015, 08:04:02 PM
ExisD: You always pick the strangest names.. :P But yeah, I should note there is a custom enchantment to armor that basically allows in-universe for it to be as revealing as needed, while retaining its properties. Many sponsors will probably buy this armor for their adventurers at no cost to them.. But yes, I like it. Though I do somewhat miss Ivette as well. ;)

I do miss Ivette as well, but she's really much more of a high-magic and reasonably high level character type.

Also, almost all of my names come from here: http://www.behindthename.com/random/

It's one of my favorite sites because of how much I learn each time I have to come up with new ones. Leave everything on an roll until something that sounds right comes up.

Inerrant Lust

One of the things I'm struggling with is figuring out how your characters would first get involved in the business... and how they would set themselves apart from all the others. So when you are making them, do bear in mind that they'll be level 1 and the campaign may very well start with their first adventure ever.

Your typical sponsor at first level is something like a merchant. At that low a level, it isn't even usually being scryed and the client just wants a job done (My basement is infested with giant rats!) Alternatively, you could be an 'extra' on someone else's adventure... and just might suddenly find the spotlight.

So I might bump it up to 3 or so. Haven't decided. I wanted all the characters to be on the verge of that 'big break', the one 'role' they need to gain national attention. Hmm..

MiraMirror

Hum...is there a monk in 5e? I don't see one in the rules PDF.
On's and Offs -  Please read before asking for a story <3

AndyZ

The basic PDF only has some of the very basic stuff.  The actual book has all of the stuff, but costs money, while the PDF is free.

It's best to think of the PDF as a way to kick the tires and see how you like the game.
It's all good, and it's all in fun.  Now get in the pit and try to love someone.

Ons/Offs   -  My schedule and A/As   -    My Avatars

If I've owed you a post for at least a week, poke me.

Inerrant Lust

There is. The link I sent you was the free version hosted by wizards, which has.. like.. only a handful of the classes. :P

What AndyZ said. ;)

DomJoe

A free pdf is floating around for the full book, but obviously you must search for that at your own risk.

As for concerns about my character, her tenants do allow her light and free flowing clothing, so she wouldn't be too miffed about covering herself up. Anything greater than that, and there will be problems, as she's not one to break the commandments of her dojo.

Kunoichi

Quote from: Inerrant Lust on March 04, 2015, 08:04:02 PM
Kunoichi: You already know how I feel about the shortstacks. But yeah, the advertizement in the original post is not neccessarily the 'canon' thing that got everyone involved into the campaign, but it was there just to establish the setting and the tone I was going for. That being said, Yuffi seems like just the sort of character who would pounce on that sort of opportunity. :P

It might not be canon for everyone, but I'm certainly hoping it will wind up being canon for how Yuffi gets involved in the games. :P A lighthearted, fun-loving, almost painfully-naive rookie, walking into the Adventurer's Guild one day with only the barmaid's uniform on her back and a pocketful of dreams...

Quote from: Inerrant Lust on March 04, 2015, 08:21:18 PM
So I might bump it up to 3 or so. Haven't decided. I wanted all the characters to be on the verge of that 'big break', the one 'role' they need to gain national attention. Hmm..

I certainly wouldn't mind if we got bumped up to level 3 for our starting point.  Yuffi would actually have some spellcasting at that point, which would add a little more mechanical weight to the 'occasional Wizard's apprentice' part of her backstory. ^^

ExisD

Quote from: Inerrant Lust on March 04, 2015, 08:21:18 PM
One of the things I'm struggling with is figuring out how your characters would first get involved in the business... and how they would set themselves apart from all the others. So when you are making them, do bear in mind that they'll be level 1 and the campaign may very well start with their first adventure ever.

Your typical sponsor at first level is something like a merchant. At that low a level, it isn't even usually being scryed and the client just wants a job done (My basement is infested with giant rats!) Alternatively, you could be an 'extra' on someone else's adventure... and just might suddenly find the spotlight.

So I might bump it up to 3 or so. Haven't decided. I wanted all the characters to be on the verge of that 'big break', the one 'role' they need to gain national attention. Hmm..

I'd also be happy with starting at level 3 since that would also give justification for Mags to know more about the local sponsors and have spent time gaining as much favor as she can, wardrobe malfunctions, fae charms, and all.

Inerrant Lust

So if we increased it to 3, how do you imagine your characters have been getting along in the world of adventuring- what kind of quests they did or what they're hoping for, ect.

rikka

#65
Ange


Backstory: 

Ange was the result of a fling between her adventurer of a father and her mother who is a member of an amazon tribe.  Not wanting to be tied down, Ange’s father left her mother to bore her alone.  Ange would always ask about her father, and her mother would tell her of the wondrous exploits he’d confided to her.  This ignited Ange’s desire and dream of wanting to go to the places her father went, and more, and make her own adventures.

Time passed by, and as Ange grew to a robust and promising member of the amazon tribe, she and the others of the village, would notice the intermittent arrival of ‘skyboats’ and with them outsiders who have come seeking thrills and treasures in their lands.  The amazons would not mind them as long as they respected their territories, and that they are on their own when facing the land’s many perils.

Ange would try and make contact with these outsiders, to learn more about the world where they came from, the world where her father came from.  In exchange she would offer her services as a guide and part-protector for the often overconfident and naïve adventurers in their ventures.  Eventually only hearing of tales of the outsiders’ world wouldn’t be enough to sate Ange’s curiosity, she had to go there and see it for herself.  With a help of a couple of outsiders they helped Ange to stow aboard their airship when it was time to return to the mainland.  Upon arriving to civilization, Ange appearance would cause quite a stir that would attract clients and sponsors that would like to recruit someone who came from the savage lands.
Whatever the outcome, it's on you.

Ons/Offs

Kunoichi

Quote from: Inerrant Lust on March 04, 2015, 09:12:47 PM
So if we increased it to 3, how do you imagine your characters have been getting along in the world of adventuring- what kind of quests they did or what they're hoping for, ect.

Yuffi won't have been an official adventurer, but her habit of getting easily distracted will probably have gotten her into similar lines of work as the standard grunt adventuring duties, in addition to her actual job as a barmaid.  Basements full of rats, attics full of spiders, an old orcish man who was convinced that his bath was haunted by ghosts and wanted the help of a beautiful young lady or two to guard him while he bathed, that sort of thing. :P

Actually, I imagine that requests like the latter were probably more common than the former two, but she still would have at least gotten enough actual experience to train herself up to the level of skill represented by being level 3.

ExisD

#67
Quote from: Inerrant Lust on March 04, 2015, 09:12:47 PM
So if we increased it to 3, how do you imagine your characters have been getting along in the world of adventuring- what kind of quests they did or what they're hoping for, ect.

Mags would have been socializing with the patrons that she had access to, which is actually a good number thanks to that background power. She'd have been trying to been an extra for some higher level adventurers for early exposure and go solo in more public venues afterward. Acting as a showoff the entire time when she could get away with it, while taking tasteful armor damage of course. She probably would've had a couple of more sexual loses through over extending.

DomJoe

Quote from: Inerrant Lust on March 04, 2015, 09:12:47 PM
So if we increased it to 3, how do you imagine your characters have been getting along in the world of adventuring- what kind of quests they did or what they're hoping for, ect.

Shala will have likely been involved in a few adventures by now, usually as a back-up adventurer or someone doing low level jobs like clearing out an infestation of some sort. She has been lured to a couple high paying jobs, but they tended to be sexual in nature, and she refused them as they would damage the reputation of her dojo (even if her tenants may allow such acts). She has also found no success in promoting her dojo, and is still on the lookout for someone to sponsor her or get the word out. At the very least, however, she has been able to put the physical side of her training to the test, which has showed her that her form isn't perfect. She's been tweaking her technique and even trying to invent new ways to connect to nature, allowing her to tap into manifestations of the elements.

CeruleanSerenity

I do like the idea of starting at level 3. Then we'll be a bit stronger (and more) durable, while still being on the inexperienced side.

Quote from: Inerrant Lust on March 04, 2015, 08:04:02 PM
CeruleanSerenity, Etherealgirl: Nobody else has offered a cleric or druid..  ::)
Then cleric it is. I just need to settle on a picture... and I tend to be slow with that, so maybe finishing by tonight was a little too optimistic of me...

I do rather like this, though as D&D adventure as it is, I'm not sure "life domain cleric" would be the first thing to come to anyone's mind on seeing that. ...But still...

Inerrant Lust

I should note, the sphere of influence the Games has over the main continent is pretty advanced... while the division between the 'civilized world' and the 'uncivilized world' is fairly black and white. I imagine a lot of Barbarians are barbarians because of the way they fight- not necessarily their upbringing. Some might even be an act. I bet there would be plenty of well-read and cunning Orcs who play big dumb barbarians because there's more work for them that way. :P

That means the realm 'inside' Gaming is very safe. A lot of the danger has been pushed out towards the frontier, and that danger is constantly being sought out by adventurers. It's not quite a land where large bands of brigands roam... and if they did, there wouldn't quite be nobles hanging out around those areas. Nor would nobles be hanging out anywhere near a group of wild amazons. Essentially, adventurers do dangerous things so nobles don't have to. ;)

A group of brigands would not last very long before someone decided to make their deaths a spectacle to scry. Also, I figure that if a group of amazons existed within civilization, they would very quickly be 'marketed' and they would soon become assimilated into the nearby culture.

That being said, I did already have in mind that amazons existed in this setting- far to the south beyond the sea. It's a lot of jungle islands, and quite possibly a new continent. I doubt any nobles would be going so far away and risking their life and limb... adventurers assuredly. Ange could have been the child of an adventurer brought there when she was orphaned, but it is odd to bring your kid to an exotic land. Or, more likely, she's the result of an adventurer getting one of the natives pregnant. ;)

Adventurers who are popular enough will have their own airships, and the crew could consist of male and female sailors. Over a long voyage, Ange could be result of one such union... and it is entirely possible that the same scenario occurred, except her parents were transient members of the Gaming Ministry and not a Noble's convoy.

CeruleanSerenity; Considering that a sponsor would likely produce such a set of armor for you and encourage you to wear it.. it does fit within the context of the setting. :p As I mentioned elsewhere, I was hoping for a knight/paladin/cleric type character that would be normally very prim and proper... but finds that her sponsors/clients are constantly trying to get her to make the performance edgier and sexier.

I have been abusing Atroxa's character gallery as of late for ideas...

Rhaegar14

I vastly prefer the 3rd level start, as I can't do a multiclass character from 1st level (and thus you'd have to stage her encounter with the Imp for me). Also at 3rd level, the Ranger character could start with her pet; Beast Mastery is very mechanically subpar, but I'm pretty sure that if she has a wolf pet in a game like this then at some point somebody is gonna have sex with it lol. CeruleanSerenity also raises a valid point; I don't know if you've run 5e yet, InerrantLust, but I have, and it's very much back to the days of level 1 being fantasy Vietnam. First level characters run out of resources very quickly and go squish with excessive ease.

I also had an idea for an Oath of Vengeance Paladin who swore to avenge an older sibling that died in a high-profile game against some kind of famous monster (after all, if there are famous adventurers, surely certain monsters would gain reputations for being undefeated after a while). To get their shot at it, however, the Paladin will have to climb the ranks, and that may occasionally involve compromising their moral code. Not sure which gender I like better for that one. I'll flesh out some of them a bit more over the course of tonight (probably won't stat them until you've fully decided a starting level, though), and if you want to pick one of them so be it.
Pretty much scrapped my signature because everything in it is hilariously out of date. I might work on fixing that eventually.

Inerrant Lust

Yeah, I've noticed in another game the difference between 1st level and 3rd can be quite substantial. This would be my first time GMing 5e, but at the same time... a lot of adventures are carefully monitored. There are scryings where people get wounded and even die... but when they do, usually something went wrong. There are 'snuff films' where 1st level adventurers get slaughtered, yes... but for the most part, the mass exported scryings are safe and happy little adventures where there is little risk of anyone actually dying. Most people simply don't want to see anyone get killed in front of them, particularly if they really enjoy that adventurer's exploits.

That being said, it happens from time to time and when it does- there's talk for awhile about illegalizing this or that or making adventuring safer.. a debate over providing a 'real' experience to the viewers and whether or not that adds to the quality of entertainment.. but little is changed. The Ministry sometimes even makes a profit off of it, as the adventurer might become more popular posthumously.

rikka

Thanks for that. I'll make the necessary adjustments.
Whatever the outcome, it's on you.

Ons/Offs

CeruleanSerenity

#74
Quote from: Inerrant Lust on March 04, 2015, 10:53:02 PM
CeruleanSerenity; Considering that a sponsor would likely produce such a set of armor for you and encourage you to wear it.. it does fit within the context of the setting. :p As I mentioned elsewhere, I was hoping for a knight/paladin/cleric type character that would be normally very prim and proper... but finds that her sponsors/clients are constantly trying to get her to make the performance edgier and sexier.

I have been abusing Atroxa's character gallery as of late for ideas...
Oh, I was just thinking about the type of equipment, not the style... leather armor and daggers aren't exactly stereotypical cleric gear. But there's nothing stopping clerics from using Dexterity as their main combat attribute. So maybe I'll stick with it.

I don't see my character as the prim and proper type; she might well have sponsors trying to sex up her adventures, but she's more the type to have fun going along with it... or push for it herself. Sex appeal is kind of her thing.

But I ought to go write up my character rather than just talking about her. Should I start her at level 3, then?

Edit: And two more questions... I was thinking of taking the Outlander background. Any suggestions on how that would fit in the setting? And equipment... I wanted to pick it out manually using the starting wealth in chapter 5. Would you like me to roll it here, or take the average or something else like that?

Apologies if this has been answered before... a lot has been going on and I might have missed something.