New Year, New Me – Day 24-31

January is fast coming to a close. So let’s wrap this experiment up with the final eight character concepts. I hope you’ve enjoyed these and what’s more, I hope you took inspiration from one of them for something you want to play in a future game!

1. 5e DND – An Alchemist Artificer, you were up the son of a popular mixologist and were trained from an early age in how different flavors mixed and interacted with each other. You often said that when everything worked out properly, magic happened. As you grew older, you began to think about this saying more literally. And when you reached the limits of what was able to be learned on their own, you found that you hungered for me. And so you struck out on your own to learn all that you could.
2. Star Wars Age of Rebellion – A Propagandist who began their career as an investigative journalist until the Empire began restricting the free press and suppressing your stories. With nowhere else to turn, you used your network of contacts to rendezvous with the Rebel Alliance, hoping to use your skills to restore the free press to the galaxy.
3. Star Wars Age of Rebellion – A Scientist that was part of an Imperial think tank. An expert in genetics, you believed they were being tasked with coming up with new ways to administer medicine on the battlefield in an effort to save the lives of more soldiers. But your data was actually being used in an effort to create new combat drugs in an effort to create a “super soldier” that the Empire could use to secure military dominance over the Rebellion. When you found this out you took your work and ran, contacting the Rebel Alliance. Now you apply this knowledge and work to keep the soldiers of the Rebellion safe while helping to take down the Empire.
4. Star Wars Edge of the Empire – A Gunslinger, you were famous on your backwater for being the fastest draw and quickest shot with a blaster. There weren’t too many disputes that you couldn’t solve by picking a side and threatening a duel. And because of that, you were quite popular (at least in public) and well paid. Then one day a highborn fop came looking for some excitement after hearing about your prowess. He challenged you to a duel and you accepted, thinking that he would back off before the duel started. He didn’t. And you shot him down. Now the noble’s family wants to see you strung up for murder, even though the laws about duels on your planet are in your favor. That won’t stop the less reputable bounty hunters from taking your chain code. Or other gunfighters looking to make a name for themselves. So you’re on the run to protect your friends and family.
5. Any Science Fiction/Science Fantasy/Modern/Steampunk Game – You have always seemed to have an innate understanding of how machines work. You can take apart and put back together even the most complicated devices and put them back together and isolate even the smallest of problems. But when your sister, the person that you rely on more than anything else to make sense of the human world got sick, you couldn’t figure out what the problem was. The doctors weren’t much help either and she slipped into a coma before too long. You know that there has to be something out there that can help her, and you’ll apply your skills however you can to help find it or fund it.
6. 5e DND – An Order Cleric, you were born and raised within a militant arm of your church and pledged yourself to ferreting out and bringing the light of your deity to the enemies of your faith. You joined the Inquisition and learned early on that your powers could be useful in helping to draw information out of captured enemy agents without having to resort to more barbaric methods of torture. You’re proud of that fact, even if your own methods have their own attached problems.
7. 5e DND – A Peace Cleric, you were noble born, but far enough down the line of succession that you chose the church when you were younger. It proved to be the right move for you. You learned the art of diplomacy from the priests and used it to help your family as a diplomat. But everything came crashing down around your ears when your family was betrayed at the negotiating table by another noble family. Your kin were murdered, and you yourself barely managed to survive the attack, left for dead by the enemy as they moved to consume your family’s territory. You gave up any claim you had to the lands years ago, and it goes against so many of your faith’s tenets, but you can’t let this action go unanswered.
8. 5e DND – A Fathomless Pact Warlock, you were born on a small island, insulated from much of the greater world. You received regular trading vessels at your port, but beyond that you had no contact. When you came of age, you began to have strange dreams of cataclysmic storms and destructive waves. The island elders believed them to be signs that you were being called by the protector spirit of the island, a truly ancient being of elemental force and took you to meet him. As you took a leap of a faith off the high cliffs of your island into the bay this creature resided, your fall was arrested by watery tentacles that pulled you under the surface. You emerged from the bay hours later with new powers and a mission – one that would take you far away from your home. It seems simple enough – deliver a pearl to a certain individual, and you don’t know what it has to do with your dreams, but you know enough not to question a being that can grant you power such as you now command. You’re willing to see where it goes.

New Year, New Me – Day 17 – 23

Get ready, because you’re about to get a week’s worth of capsule character concepts. These are meant to be bite-sized concepts that could be fully expanded into deeper character backgrounds, but serve as contained seeds that could be readily expanded for your own use as well as mine. Hopefully you see something you like in here.

1. An Armorer Artificer who bears a curse that forbids him from ever removing his armor. He acquired this curse from a particularly capricious fey creature and turned to magic and artifice to attempt to turn his armor into a second skin and allow him to live as normal a life as possible. In doing so, he discovered the depths of his own potential and the things these abilities might allow him to accomplish if he continued to develop them.
2. An Aberrant Mind Sorcerer who knows that his birth was the herald to a dangerous creature crossing over from the Far Realm. Will his destiny be to oppose this creature and destroy it? Or to pave the way for it to conquer the Material Plane? And will his powers prove to be a boon, or will they ultimate seal his doom?
3. A Warforged Clockwork Soul Sorcerer. As an artificial creation themselves, they are obsessed with how things work and what actually constitutes consciousness and intelligence. Is there a soul? Or are all of us simply nothing more than machines of varying complexity?
4. You made a drunken promise to a friend that you would join him on an adventure. You had no business being out there – your skills included winning a couple of tavern brawls and not coming in dead last in the arm wrestling contest. But a promise is a promise. Now your friend is dead. And you’ve sworn that it will never happen to anyone else. And you’re going to keep this promise, or die trying.
5. An Oath of Glory paladin who was destined for greatness as an athlete. The rising star of your celebrity crashed into the destiny the gods had for you as their champion. You’ve heard enough stories to know that one doesn’t just turn down the gods when they call upon you. And if you can leverage your fam to make your ultimate destiny easier? So much the better.
6. A Circle of Wildfire Druid known as The Phoenix Bonded. You don’t know why, but you were chosen to carry the spirit of a phoenix within you, safeguarding it to whatever destiny it has. You don’t know what this ultimate purpose is, but the power the spirit has granted you to help shepherd it is undeniable. You want more, and the only way to do that is to perform your role. Let’s see what this has in store for you.
7. An Order Domain Cleric. You were born to be in the City Watch. Your father served, as did his father, stretching back generations. You were taught to respect the rule of law and were training to join from the time you could walk and talk. And you took to it remarkably well. But you couldn’t shake the feeling that after all this time you were thinking too small. There was a whole host of places and people outside of the city walls that needed the protection of the law as well. And maybe you were the one to bring it to them.

New Year, New Me – Day 16

Astor – Half-Elf Warlock of the Great Old Ones – Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition

Astor was one of a pair of twins that had been adopted by a human family. He and his sister had been orphaned on the road when wandering monsters had claimed the lives of their birth parents. They both grew up to lead rather uneventful lives, or so it seemed. Astor joined the army like every young man. And while he wasn’t the biggest or strongest, his keen wit and sharp tongue kept him out of trouble in the barracks and earned him favor among the leadership, earning a small command for himself at a fairly young age, all things considered. And then it came time for Astor to go to war – King Caledon’s forces had pressed too far into their sovereign lands. The early skirmishes went well, and they pushed the enemy back. Emboldened by their success, Astor pushed the men further and further. But he soon realized his mistake, and Caledon sprung his trap. They had pushed too deep, allowing themselves to be encircled. Astor’s men were slaughtered. Astor was one of the few that was able to escape, fleeing back to his home town where he discovered more bloodshed. His parents had been savagely and ritualistically murdered and his sister, Davina was nowhere to be found. He buried his family and went about the process of packing his belongings when Davina showed up one night gravely wounded and clutching a bag to her breast. Astor asked what was going on and the only thing Davina was able to get out between mindless babbles is that she needed him to protect what was in the package from them. She made him promise that he would do everything in his power to protect it. He made the promise. And then his sister died. Not a moment later, the door was kicked in by robed figures bearing dangerous looking knives. Astor was unarmed, but the package in his arms grew warm and heavy. A voice in his head asked if he wished for the power to destroy his enemies and to avenge his families’ deaths. He knew then that these people were the ones responsible for killing his parents and taking his sister. They were after what Davina had given to him and sworn to his protection. And he hated them. He could be given the power to destroy these men in exchange for a price to be exacted later. He uttered a simple response – yes.

“The bargain is struck!”

Astor felt a power well up inside of him, magical energy that had never before existed and yearned to be unleashed. He raised his hands at the intruders and they were immolated by fiery rays that sprang from his fingertips. They writhed on the ground as they died, their howls of pain and suffering seeming to feed the power inside of him. He didn’t know what else to do – he ran. He ran as far as he could, only stopping when he could run no more. Only then did he open the satchel his sister had given him. Inside were several books. One tome was so weathered and worn that he could barely make out any of the words, and what few he could seemed to be complete nonsense. The other books were more helpful, including one that detailed Davina’s days after Astor left for the army. It seemed she had gotten mixed up with a mystery cult. It had seemed like harmless fun at first, but as she had learned more and more about it, she realized the danger these men and women posed to the world and had tried to flee. Their parents were simply caught in the crossfire, killed by the cult in order to force compliance from Davina. But she had stolen several of their writings and an amulet that had been worn by one of their priests and ran. It was during her escape that she was fatally wounded and had given the satchel to her brother.

Astor doesn’t know much about what is going on, but he does know the power that was awoken inside of him hasn’t yet gone back to sleep. He has a feeling it may be linked to the ancient being that the cult worshipped, but he doesn’t know for certain yet. But maybe, just maybe he can get revenge for his family using it.

New Year, New Me – Day 15

Darion – Dwarf Bard – Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition

Darion was very young, barely able to walk on his own when he was exiled, his entire clan was sent aboveground to answer for the crimes of a few.

By the time he could speak, his people had formed expansive trade deals with neighboring settlements, and visitors of all shape and size were commons sights in the dwarven settlement. Perhaps that is why he never took to work like so many of those that came from underground. Or maybe it was just him. Regardless, the young dwarf hated working. Instead, he had a knack for talking people into doing his work for him, so that he could slack off and fool around.

He did, however, have a passion for music. He bought himself a drum early on and taught himself whatever songs and chants he could, oftentimes sneaking aboard merchant wagons headed to the nearby port city to listen to the sailors singing their work songs. One day, a ship’s captain overheard the young man singing along and offered to bring him aboard as a shanty man. Darion jumped at the chance, not realizing how much work he was actually in for. There were precious few places he could hide on the ship and the crew weren’t too keen on letting the dwarf shirk his duties. Still, Darion found the voyage to be an exhilarating experience, and when the ship landed back in harbor, he signed on for another three months, and then another three months. Before he knew it, he had spent several years at sea with various ships and ship captains. As the years went by he grew to become a capable sailor. He also continued to pursue his love of music, learning about the magic that was locked inside of it during some R&R in a foreign port of call. Most importantly, he learned how to use those skills to cut corners aboard the ship, subtly influencing people to do his work for him or mending tears in the sails with his magic so that he could knock off early.

After a particularly nasty storm nearly sank the ship he was aboard, he decided that it was time to get back to dry land for a while. After the ship limped its way back to port, he took his leave of the sailor’s life to see what he could find back home.

New Year, New Me – Day 14

Gorag – Goliath Battlemaster Fighter – Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition

I’ve been told that most of the people who fight like me were trained differently, more structured and disciplined. If that’s the case, then I’m extra thankful to my mentor. I was orphaned when I was quite young, and because of my size I was attractive to various organizations. Eventually I was taken in by a group of slavers and sold to a gladiator circuit. There an elderly fighter named Emki took a shine to me and kept me safe while teaching me how to fight. I wasn’t trusted with any weapons yet, so he taught me how to fight using my body as a weapon. My fists cracked and bled constantly, but they were reforged into granite under his tutelage. I used the skills he taught me to keep myself alive in the ring when they finally decided that I was worth putting into a game. I continued to fight for my life for years. Eventually I won it. 

It was a cruel twist of fate. I was forced to face down my mentor with the promise that the survivor would win their freedom. I’m proud to say that Emki did not make it easy on me, but my strength eventually overcame his patient defenses, and I tearfully bid the man that had become a father to me before I broke his neck with my bare hands.

So now I’m free. But the funny thing about being raised as a fighter is that it becomes the only thing you’re good at. It becomes the only thing that you crave. Luckily over the years I’ve managed to focus some of my energy into other pursuits, applying the same focus and determination to it that Emki taught me in regards to fighting. But I’ve earned my way in the world by selling the one thing that was ever worth anything to anyone – my size, and my fists. 

New Year, New Me – Day 13

Skittler – Kobold Forge Domain Cleric – Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition

I’ll get my revenge on those miserable blues if it’s the last thing I do. 

But I’m getting ahead of myself. And truth be told, they maybe did me a small favor by letting me out into the rest of the world. But it was at the cost of so many of my kinsmen and friends that I secretly wonder sometimes if it was all worth it. Not a lot of people out here trust me and it gets a little bit lonely some times… 

Anyway, I’m Skittler. I used to be the forgemaster for the army of Astyrinax, the most fearsome red dragon you’ve ever met in your life. He sensed the heart of fire and the spirit of the forge within me when I was just a pup. In exchange for swearing to worship him for the rest of my days, he placed me under the literal wing of Cobblesmash (he was an Urd) who was in charge of the forge when I was born. I’m pretty sure he died in some battle and left me in charge of the arms and armor of the various creatures that swore allegiance to his majesty. It was a good life, and I was very good at my job. The heat from the forge never bothered me like it did the others that came and went. And as I grew up I learned I could do things that normal smiths could only dream of. The forge… spoke to me. I saw what the iron and steel wanted to become and I gave them the gift of that form. At that time I thought it was just from my fervent desire to worship Astyrinax. Now… Now I know different. 

It didn’t last all that long when I stop and think about it. Four years ago the blue dragon Thrazidal and his army swept in and crushed Astyrinax in battle. He took a lot of them with him, and he gave Thrazidal a few good blows, melted one of his eyes, but in the end I saw my master and my god fall. The army broke after that and those that survived the sacking of the lair scattered everywhere. I spent a long time just hiding – moving from place to place. I was convinced that Thrazidal and his thralls were looking for me because of my connection with Astyrinax. I realize now that they weren’t, but it made sense to me at the time. Eventually, I chanced upon some people on the road that needed some assistance with their cart. They saw my tools and asked me if I would help – I still don’t know if they were simply that open-minded or simply that desperate to not slay me out of hand in that moment. For the first time since the fall of Astyrinax, I picked up my tools, and the power flowed like it normally did – I created the parts needed to fix their cart and helped to patch it up. They thanked me by bringing me to their town and feeding me. Over the next year I managed to stay in their good graces by finding odd jobs that needed to be done in exchange for food and shelter. They were never without the best farming implements and hunting gear. The few weapons they kept for their militia were of the finest quality. 

It was nice, but I knew I couldn’t stay.

I needed to discover the source of my power – If it wasn’t granted to me by Astyrinax, then where did it come from? I’ve spent the last two years and change trying to figure out just that, and I’m afraid I’m really not any closer to finding the truth. But I’ve also learned a lot about the other races and found ways that I can fit in with them without being driven out as a monster. It’s been a learning experience for everyone, but we’re all getting there.

And I’ve got to find the power to destroy Thrazidal myself – if not for Astyrinax, then for everyone else that blue dragon took from me…

New Year, New Me – Day 12

Celcitorn – Tempest Domain Cleric – Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition

Celcitorn was born in a small fishing village to the son of a fisherman and to no one’s surprise, he took after his father’s trade from an early age. He proved to be a very capable fisherman, always ready to take on whatever task needed to be done without complaint. Even though his lack of people skills kept him from being very good at the actual selling of the daily hauls, he was quick and bold on the water, many times tempting fate to get a bigger catch. He was convinced that he would spend the rest of his life fishing, and this fact didn’t bother him.

But fate had bigger things in store for him. Shortly after his 19th birthday, he was caught in a storm that came out of nowhere and by all rights should have killed him. Lightning struck the water right next to his boat and the concussive blast ripped the wood and metal beneath him to shreds and threw him deep into the water, unconscious. While underwater, he dreamed. He dreamt of a great ship sailing next to a small fishing boat. The boat had a curious symbol carved into the prow, one that he had seen on trips to the larger cities to buy more specialized supplies – that of Procan, the Sailor of Sea and Sky. The larger ship had no such iconography up it. Suddenly a great storm overcame the ships, high winds, driving rain, and torrential waves battered at both ships. The great ship was soon taking on water and sinking below the waves, but the small boat was able to ride the storm out. The message was not lost on young Celcitorn.

When he regained consciousness, he was staring at the worried face of an otherwise imposing figure, a lizardman that had fished him out of the water. He was called Kepesk, an exile from his own tribe. Celcitorn knew that their meeting was no chance coincidence, and he told the lizardman of his dream. Kepesk called it a message and call to action from The Storm Lord. As Kepesk accompanied Celcitorn on his journey back to his home village, they talked of the sea, of storms, and of the god Procan. When they reached a larger settlement with a temple consecrated to the god, Celcitorn dedicated himself to the deity. A bolt of lightning from otherwise clear skies lanced down to the roof of the temple and a massive peal of thunder sounded as the young cleric finished his paean. Infused with the power of the storm itself, Celcitorn knew that he needed to become the sea’s avenger. A quiet life of fishing was no longer in his future.

But he was okay with that.

New Year, New Me – Day 11

Lisette Focault – Human Rogue (Thief) – Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition.

Lisette Focault is the youngest daughter of the Focault family. Early on in life she found that her role in life was largely superfluous as far as the family was concerned. Her older siblings were the ones that were being married to secure alliances with other families or to strengthen existing ties of friendship. She was able to spend the majority of her time doing as she pleased. And what she pleased was sneaking off to play with the common children, much to the annoyance of her parents and the guards whose supervision she so often slipped. But it was while she was making friends that she discovered the difference in lifestyle from everyone else’s. As she grew older, she began to understand and see how their life made her lifestyle possible, and she made a promise to herself that she would do what she could to help return some of the wealth that was taken from them to support the ruling class by any means necessary.

While attending balls and other social functions she would often find chances to slip away and “liberate” small amounts of coin before slipping into the city to fill the church poorbox. She made contacts within the undercurrent of society that would move merchandise like jewelry and other small pieces of art that would not be missed or easily recognized by their owners. She grew to be very good at this, and she grew to be very bold – too bold.

One night while she was meeting a contact to sell some merchandise, a young nobleman by the name of Ricard DuBon showed up, accompanied by a Focault house guard whose gaze she thought she had slipped. He was missing a ring that was taken from his bedside table, a ring that looked very much like the one that Lisette was in the middle of fencing. She returned the ring to him and begged and pleaded for his forgiveness, explaining what she had been spending her time trying to do. To her surprise Ricard was supportive of her efforts. But, he knew also knew that he had leverage that could bring House Focault down in scandal should word get out. He promised Lisette that he would keep her secret and allow her to continue to crusade on one condition – that he be brought on board as her handler, giving her targets to acquire and taking a cut off the top of her earnings.

What he didn’t tell her was that he planned to use her as a weapon against rival houses in order to weaken them financially, or at the very least make them suspicious of one another. House DuBon could find its status propelled upwards if he played his cards right. The guard was sworn to secrecy on the matter as well, and would act as the muscle and protection for Lisette’s operations should she need it.

New Year, New Me – Day 10

Serenn – Tiefling Paladin of Vengeance – Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition

Serenn’s history is a mess. He was abandoned by his mother when he was born, and probably would have died if not for the local fence that took pity on the baby boy. He was raised as the man’s own son alongside his natural born daughter. He grew up steeped deeply in the criminal culture that surrounded his father’s work. Thieves and pickpockets of every species and background had loosely organized themselves into a guild within the area. His father would help move the goods they brought in. What he didn’t use to enrich the lives of him and his children, he tried to give back to the community and enrich the city. Serenn and Deeta were soon common sights in the city streets, sometimes working with the “guild.”

It wasn’t long before the city got very dangerous. When he was a young man, a group of slavers moved into their section of the city, having taken it by force. A lot of the people that Serenn had grown up with were either forced out of their homes, enslaved, or simply killed. While they had occasionally dealt with a criminal element rougher than the simple pickpocket or second-story man, these slavers were so beyond anything they had dealt with. They were completely unprepared. His father tried to ingratiate himself with the slavers, offering them his services at a deep discount. Instead, they took Deeta. Enraged, Serenn went after them. He caught up with the slaver that had his sister and caught him by surprise. He bashed the man’s head in with a cobblestone, but he didn’t see the man’s backup until it was too late. Deeta was faster – and the dagger that was meant for Serenn slipped between her ribs instead. Serenn killed the second slaver and wept while his sister bled out in his arms. It was then and there he swore he would become the vengeance on not only these slavers, but become the vengeance for those that were incapable of taking it themselves. A furious power blossomed inside of him as his sister breathed her last breath.

It wasn’t long before the watch came around asking questions about the two dead slavers that were left in the alleyway. His father was hauled away in irons when his sister’s body was found lying in state in the back room. This time, Serenn didn’t weep. He knew his father had given up his freedom so that Serenn could have his. He took what money his father had stashed away from the family, purchased what weapons and armor he could, and left the city under the cover of night. His mission was clear. The path to completing his mission however was not…

New Year, New Me – Day 9

“Melody” – Tiefling Bard – Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition.

Melody’s story starts many years before she was born with a young hunter-gatherer on the plains. This young man styled himself a historian and story keeper for his people. At least he wished to be. But he could never keep the stories straight and his ability to perform was less than inspiring. Still he burned with the passion for the stories and the songs of his people.

Finally, distraught to the point of desperation he made a decision that would forever change his destiny. One fateful night, when the stars were right he performed an ancient ritual, calling on dark powers from below the earth. His pleas were heard, and a bargain was struck – a night with a demoness in exchange for the ability to be what he craved. He didn’t give it a second thought. What he didn’t count on was the succubus not giving him the full terms of the bargain. She gave him the abilities he craved, but she left him without the ability to walk. No longer able to perform the physical duties requires of him, his tribe moved on without him. He almost gave in to his despair, but decided that he must try to live. Fashioning a crude pair of crutches, he managed to make his way to a nearby fishing village where he used his new abilities to keep the locals entertained enough to keep himself fed and get him shelter. He made sure to learn everything he could about the village and the surrounding lands. He talked with every merchant, every traveler that stopped through the village to learn new pieces of history and new stories that he could add to his repertoire.

It was several years later that a young girl, thick with the scent and sight of infernal heritage showed up on his doorstep claiming to be his daughter. And in truth she was, conceived from his night with the succubus so many years ago. As she grew, she had begun to show an aptitude for the same arts that her father had so desired and so was sent away from her mother to the Material Plane to learn at his feet. At first he wanted nothing to do with her, and demanded that she leave him be. He found however, that he could not do that to the child. She was not to blame for her mother’s deceit. And she was just as much of an outsider in this community as he was when he first arrived, if not more. If he cast her out, he would be dishonoring the people that had taken him in. He took her in and he gave her a name.

Melody proved relentless in her desire to learn the histories and stories that he had learned. She reminded him of himself as a young man. And, as much as he hated to admit it, she reminded him of her mother. She was a tangible connection to his past and the choices he had made that had brought him to this point in his life. He taught her everything he knew. She soaked it up like a sponge, surpassing his skills in ways that amazed him. Maybe it was her bloodline, maybe it was natural skill, but there was a magic about the way she recited a story or sang a song. She restored him to life in a way that he had never expected Years later, he lay on his death bed, having taught the young woman everything he knew. He gave her his most prized possession – the drum he had made himself in his youth, when the same fire that burned within her first took hold of him. He finally expired, and Melody left to explore the rest of the world and learn everything she could about the stories and the histories of the realm.