Hoard of the Dragon Queen [D&D Next, All welcome]

[AndyZ]

For the past several days, you have been travelling a road that winds lazily across the rolling grasslands of the Greenfields.  Sundown is approaching when you top a rise and see the town of Greenest just a few short miles away.  But instead of the pleasant, welcoming town you expected, you see columns of black smoke rising from burning buildings, running figures that are little more than dots at this distance, and a dark, winged shape wheeling low over the keep that rises above the center of the town.  Greenest is being attacked by a dragon!

Hoard of the Dragon Queen is the first book of the Tyranny of Dragons campaign.  As might be obvious, I want to try to run it on Elliquiy.

I'm looking for four players who can post at least five times a week.  Characters start at first level, and I may give a bump from normal stats, but I prefer either arrays or point buy to rolling.

I don't expect a lot of sexuality in this game, but I wouldn't be opposed to it, and can set up side threads if it's wanted.

If there's lots of interest, I may also set up a slower game in parallel for people who can only post once a week.

[Muse]

Ooooh!  Me me!  Please pick me! 

I'd especially enjoy a chance to play K'tanya--a wizard with the Urchin background. 

[FragarachZ]

Interested! There's a few classes I'd like to play, I'll have to settle on something later.

[Rook Seidhr]

Interested. Won't have the PHB until sometime this week, but have downloaded and will read the basic rules PDF.

[rikka]

Count me interested.

[eternaldarkness]

I want in! I'll play something not already covered, because I like to be a team player :D

[Chulanowa]

Interested here; 5th edition looks good though I haven't really done a damned thing with it yet other than thumbed through hte books without really reading anything

[FragarachZ]

My character ideas are a knight in exile as either a battlemaster fighter or paladin, or an elven ranger to bring out-of combat utility and serve as a scout and guide during the travels. If others would like to take the more militant character options, I'm also good playing a bard for support.

Also, while I'm in favor of a good-aligned heroic party, I don't mind a more neutral "mercenary" approach either.

[Muse]

I don't mind a more neutral "mercenary" approach either.

Oh, dear.  I hope not! 

[eternaldarkness]

Here's my preliminary character concept, a thuggish halfling monk.

Name: Leena Underhill
Age: 26
Race: Halfling (Lightfoot)
Size: Small (2'9" tall, 45 lbs)
Languages: Common. Halfling.
Class/Level: Monk 1
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Background: Sailor

Feature: Bad Reputation

No matter where you go, people are afraid of you due to your reputation. When you are in a civilized settlement, you can get away with minor criminal offenses, such as refusing to pay for food at a tavern or breaking down doors at a local shop, since most people will not report your activity to the authorities.

History

Some people are just born bad, and Leena Underhill is among the baddest around. From the day she was born into her halfling family, the halfling girl had a violent temper that made her a terror to those around her as she grew up, bullying and harassing even the adults around her, and after the tiny riverside hamlet where she grew up was attacked and nearly decimated by human river pirates and many of the inhabitants - including her - were taken as captives to be sold as slaves, Leena learned that the only thing which was truly important in life was strength. Instead of being sold as the others were, Leena impressed the pirates with her ability and willingness to command respect and obedience from the other captives with fear, and soon joined them as a member of their crew rather than a captive.

Leena raided with the pirates for years, and her reputation for brutality spread far and wide. She enjoyed beating those larger and stronger than her into submission, and she would have gone on this way indefinitely had she not finally met her match one day in a wandering monk named Hu Yen, a traveler from a distant land who happened to be passing through the fishing village Leena's crew - as she had now taken it over herself - had come to pillage for loot and slaves. Her crew were beaten soundly by the man, who wore no armor and fought with nothing but a sturdy wooden staff and his bare hands. Leena fled as her crew were captured or killed to a man and delivered up to be tried and executed, and believing herself to have escaped justice, she rested in a hollow near the river, only to be awakened by the smell of cooking fish. When the badly beaten halfling girl saw that the very same strange-looking human who had defeated her and her men had found her once again, she realized that she had no chance of overcoming him, and he told her he had no intention of capturing her or turning her in. So instead, she talked, and listened to this man speak of the way of the fist, of harmony and inner strength. That set her on a path that would see her in the company of the master monk Hu Yen for nearly six years, travelling the land and learning the secrets of the monk. Yen's influence turned her away from the evil path she'd previously been set on and Leena eventually mastered the basics of the Way, but not long afterward Leena awakened one morening to find her teacher vanished, with only a note to explain his disappearance - I have shown you the path, now you must walk it to know where it may lead.

Since then, Leena has traveled in search of her lost master and a new purpose. She is trying hard to be a better person, though her past reputation follows her everywhere, and old habits die hard...

[Chulanowa]

So... you're playing Toph Beifong?  ;D

[rikka]

If no one is going for it, I'll be going for a cleric.

[Rune]

If there is still room to join, I would like to play. I am willing to play almost anything, but I currently have a Palladian and a cleric ready to go.

[AndyZ]

Quite a lot of interest ^_^ Two groups may well be likely if we get up to 8 players.

[FragarachZ]

I'll be going with the elven ranger, hoping someone makes a dwarf. Then we can get some funny Gimli-Legolas rivalry going. Also, all-human paries are boring anyway :P

Sir GM, may I know what world we will be playing in? I think 5e defaults to Forgotten Realms, but I want to be sure before I start coming up with a backstory.

[eternaldarkness]

So... you're playing Toph Beifong?  ;D

Well, hell. I guess I am. Not surprising given I am a huge fan of Toph fan who most certainly doesn't have Toph wallpaper on his desktop. Though I really didn't make the char that way on purpose :P

Now I have to make her an elemental monk....I was actually planning on going Open Hand and being a small, deadly facebeating halfling karate master tho :P

[Letrixia]

Putting interest in this :)

[AndyZ]

Thought for sure I'd put it but I guess I didn't.  The setting is Forgotten Realms.

For those interested but who don't have the books, you can get a free and legal basic set of the rules here: http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules?x=dnd/basicrules  It has human, elf, dwarf, halfling, fighter, cleric, rogue and wizard.

Chulanowa
eternaldarkness
FragarachZ
Letrixia
Muse
rikka
Riveda
Rune

I currently count eight interested people, so we'll set up as two different groups.  For my own sanity, they'll be marked A and B, and people can decide who they want to team up with.  I believe I'll be able to keep the two reasonably straight.  For obvious reasons, it'd be best if people in different games didn't read up on or discuss the other game.

So, here's what I'm looking at right now:

30 point buy.  Why?  Because I can.

I'm looking for team players.  We've all been in games where the rogue stumbles across a holy avenger and decides to sell it rather than give it to the paladin.  Those games invariably end up in a TPK because the party's just not strong enough to handle what's coming next.  Friendly rivalry (like Gimli and Legolas) is totally cool though.

This is a very small alteration, but if you take the Great Weapon Fighting Talent, two-dice damage weapons like greatswords and mauls only get rerolled on a natural 1, instead of a natural 1 or 2.  Weapons like Greataxes with only one die reroll on a natural 1 or 2 as normal.

If people want to roll dice for hit points upon levelling up, I'll let them reroll natural 1s.

I just had a request for Background tweaking.  If you want to keep a Background more or less how it is but just change one or two things (like drop proficiency in vehicles but pick up the flute) then by all means.  Just put an asterisk at the Background name so I can pick that up while reading through and mark the changes.  If you want a completely customized Background, it'd be best to discuss it with me first.

Finally, this module has an optional milestone leveling system that I'll be using.  Instead of handing out experience, I'll just hand out a level at the end of most of the chapters.

I think that answers most questions.  If we get more people interested, I'll start keeping a waiting list and draw people in as others drop out.

[FragarachZ]

One more: starting equipment or starting gold?

Edit: Another one!

with increased point buy are we still capped at 15 before racial adjustments?

[AndyZ]

People usually take starting equipment.  If you'd prefer starting gold, go with average rolls.  Each 2d4 averages to 5 you can split an odd d4s to 2.5.

If you want to exceed 15, I'd need to know what the chart would be to go higher.

[eternaldarkness]

People usually take starting equipment.  If you'd prefer starting gold, go with average rolls.  Each 2d4 averages to 5 you can split an odd d4s to 2.5.

If you want to exceed 15, I'd need to know what the chart would be to go higher.

My advice: Keep the cap at 15 before racials. It won't necessarily break anything to allow higher starting scores, but it does leave characters with some incentive to not be overspecialized.

[Garuss Vakarian]

Im real interested! Especialy since we have that cool halfling pirate! I'll play a human Barbarian. Or a Bard depending on what we need. I will make him tonight!

[FragarachZ]

Araun Syolkiir, Elven Ranger

Born and raised in a tribe of wood elves to be a hunter, Araun comes from a line of a dragonslaying adventurer. His early childhood was filled with dreams of adventure and glory, but when he set out to travel the world after living a century with his people he found that it was a dark and difficult place to live in alone. Though he is hard to trust strangers, he strives to judge people by their actions and not appearances. Still, earning his trust takes time and this quirk makes him somewhat socially awkward. There is no doubt however that those who gain his trust have a loyal friend and ally in him. Ha came to settle around a small rural community that was home to different races of Faerun. While he worked as a ranger for the village he learned valuable lessons of cooperation from all the different folk there. In exchange he trained the peasants how to defend themselves with their tools and makeshift weapons, rallying the people of the village to drive off a goblin raid. Shortly after, he married a local halfling woman named Trixy whom he spent a decade with, until she passed away in illness. After that, Araun decided to move on and travel some more until he reached another stage in his life. He remarried after several years passed, this time to a human druid called Rhiannon who bore a daughter for him, sharing a forest cottage by a hamlet. They lived as peacefully as it can be on the edge of nature and civilization until his wife fell in a monster attack. For the last two decades, Araun put aside the ranger and was a father and teacher to his half-elven daughter Epona, who after reaching adulthood was taken by the same wanderlust that drove her parents from their homes. Understanding her feelings, Araun let her go after preparing her as best as he could, and not a week later he too knew that it was time to move on and there was nothing left for him in the cottage. Common people and rural folks speak of him at times as the ranger who's hard-earned trust is worth more than any coin, and who is friend to the people who live with the land.
In his free time and when camping, Araun enjoys carving small wooden statues and figurines or playing a pan flute when he is sure the sound won't attract any danger. For a while he contemplated returning to his tribe, but he still remains resolute on forging his own path.

Charsheet

Araun Syolkiir
Neutral Good Wood Elf Ranger, Folk Hero*
Level 1
HP: 12/12; Hit Dice: 1d10
AC: 14; Proficiency: +2
Init: +3; Speed 35
Saves: Str +3, Dex +5

Melee Shortsword +5 (1d6+3)
Ranged Longbow +5 (1d8+3)

Spell Attack +4; Spell DC 12
Spells Known: -
Spell Slots: -

Str 12 (+1)
Dex 17 (+3)
Con 14 (+2)
Int 10
Wis 15 (+2)
Cha 9 (-1)

Features:
Darkvision 60'
Fey Ancestry
Trance
Keen Senses
Mask of the Wild
Elf Weapon Training
Rustic Hospitality
Favored Enemy (Dragons)
Natural Explorer (Forests)

Skill Proficiency: Athletics, Stealth, Animal Handling, Insight, Perception, Survival
Armor Proficiency: Light, Medium, Shields
Weapon Proficiency: Simple, Martial, Shortsword, Longsword, Shortbow, Longbow
Tool Proficiency: Pan flutes, Woodcarver's tools
Languages: Common, Elvish, Draconic

Possessions: 2 shortswords, longbow with quiver and 20 arrows, explorer's pack, woodcarver's tools, traveler's clothes, belt pouch, leather armor, a dragon's bony talon hanging from a plain leather necklace (trinket), 10 gp, 2 sp, 5 cp

*: Modified Folk Hero background by switching vehicle proficiency to musical instrument proficiency. I also sold some starting items for half value and bought travelers clothes instead of simple ones. Got to slay with style!

Character Info

Age: 242
Height: 5'11"
Relatives: Parents, Daughter
Family Status: Widower

Personality: "I judge people by their actions, not their words."
Ideal: "It is each person's responsibility to make the most happines for the whole community."
Bond: "I don't know where my parents and daughter are but I hope to see them again one day."
Flaw: "I am slow to trust members of other races."
Defining Event: "I led a militia to fight off an invading army."

Edit: updated version in OOC/charsheet thread for group B.

[EndofDivine]

Guess I'll throw out my interest too. Don't mind being on the waiting list if that's what's going on...gives me time to figure out what the hell I'm doing. Is there more of a hook to the story though? Some way to tie everyone together so that it's not one of those awkward "We conveniently all arrived at the town at the same time and fought together so I guess we're friends for life now" things? :P If not, I think I'd like to pair up with someone for a sibling or couple connection just so it feels like my character has some kind of investment in the group. Pretty open on concepts if anyone else is interested since I don't really have anything bouncing around my head that feels super interesting to me right now.

[eternaldarkness]

Guess I'll throw out my interest too. Don't mind being on the waiting list if that's what's going on...gives me time to figure out what the hell I'm doing. Is there more of a hook to the story though? Some way to tie everyone together so that it's not one of those awkward "We conveniently all arrived at the town at the same time and fought together so I guess we're friends for life now" things? :P If not, I think I'd like to pair up with someone for a sibling or couple connection just so it feels like my character has some kind of investment in the group. Pretty open on concepts if anyone else is interested since I don't really have anything bouncing around my head that feels super interesting to me right now.

I'm perfectly okay with it if you wanted to have some connection to Leena. She's a notorious kung-fu pirate, so you could be a former crewmember of hers, a criminal acquaintance, or even a relative or friend from her childhood. Lovers works too; she's highly bisexual.

Edit: Could also be a relative/former student/something else of her former teacher. And failing some pre-created connection, Leena is the type to take charge and put groups together, so getting everyone together isn't hard. She's a bossy little monster.