A Cooperative Effort - Tale of a Kingdom

B

Boss Frost

Guest
Original poster
-Cooperative Effort-
A Kingdom's Game

Plot: The magical kingdom of Jamero hosts a very strange custom to crown it's next Ruler. Instead of having the Ruler crown their own children, a contest is set up. One of the Ruler's children becomes the 'witness' of this - two men, women, or anything in between are charged with retrieving this person... from the other contestant. One of the two contestants is given custody of the child - often referred to as 'The Distressed', and the other is sent to retrieve them. These skirmishes between the two contestants end in the death of one of the contestants.

...But not permanently. At least, not at first. The first to 'win' three of these skirmishes is declared the winner, and may do with the loser (and the Kingdom) what they like. Though the rules of these skirmishes are strange, it has been a great system so far - only the strongest, cleverest, and most proficient at leadership ever win these contests.

The current Ruler, Queen Alice "Force-Blade" Wendel has died - the two sides, Hero and Villain have been chosen.

Are you up for it?

Note: I've been wanting to do this sort of thing for a while, and only recently got the rush of inspiration to do it. The premise? "Capture the Flag"... with a twist. Two of you will be playing a "versus" match of D&D, the rest of you will be playing a normal, freeform game. The result (I hope), will be a fun little experiment that will familiarize a few people with D&D by exposure, without the responsibility of rolling up a character, dealing with stats, and having to learn the system by walkthrough... since only two characters have to worry about all the numbers, the rest of you can just ignore it an play the game you would anything else.


THE PLAYERS:
You two are the ones who will determine Victory or Defeat for each fight - only you can truely damage each other, which is good - because when one of your HP drops to 0, you've lost the match. You are immeadiately revived at your Temple when this happens. The customary name for you two are 'The Hero' and 'The Villain'... whether or not you live up to those names is up to you! Roll up a character and see what fate has in store for you!

- The Hero!: Whatever your methods and powers are, your relationship with your friends is the key to victory.
You're a level 1 character in D&D. You have 22 point buy for stats, and 200 starting gold.

- The Villain!: Whatever your methods and powers are, your relationship with your friends is the key to victory.
You're a level 1 character in D&D. You have 22 point buy for stats, and 200 starting gold.


THE HELP:
No one can do it alone, and The Hero and The Villain are counting on you. While they've got stats and such to worry about, you will do no such thing "thank you very much". Your goal is to roleplay and have a good time with it, take out as many enemy mooks as you can, and help out your commander when he asks. The Hero and The Villain spend their Points on you to upgrade their stuff, so you're just as important, if not more so! Pick a role and write up a character!

~The Hero's Team!:
- The Friend: You've been side-by-side with The Hero for a very long time, and you wouldn't have it any other way. You're here to help your buddy, lover, or whatever sort of relationship you have with The Hero bud into victory. Doesn't matter if you're a skilled fighter or not. You've got The Hero's back, and that's admirable.
Your rival is The General. You think he's a wormtongued git with no right to see the throne, let alone stand near it.

- The Craftsman: You've got skill, you've got money! Whether you have class or not is to be seen. The Hero can't fight The Villain without good weapons and armor, and you can do both. You relish the feel of creation, and want to see The Hero on the throne so you can continue to do what you love. You've got a little skill with magic, too, and can help create even magical items.
Your rival is The Minion. You think he's a no-talent hack who should learn the right way around a forge before setting foot
on the battlefield.

- The Adept: You have the good fortune to be blessed by more than just good looks, but magic. It's your magic that brings The Hero back from death, and he likely appreciates it. The Heavens admire your dedication, and grace you with the presence of Celestial Beasts - animals from Heaven - to aid you and The Hero.
Your rival is The Cultist. He stands for everything you oppose, and seeing him flung to the Netherworld might finally
bring the world the peace it needs.


~The Villain's Team!:
- The General: You're the closest thing The Villain has to a friend. Chances are, you really are his friend. You might have an eye on the throne, but you consent that The Villain might be better at it, and you're happy to take a backseat, advisory role. You feel The Villain's rise to power would benefit you, if not the entire country. You'll fight to see that happen.
Your rival is The Friend. He stands in the way of true progress. Destroy him.

- The Minion: More work? -groan- Well, at least you're darn good at it. You've got enough magic to create even the most complex of magical items, and are fairly skilled with forge and flame. You work for The Villain because the pay is great, though you might have other reasons, too - you might honestly be loyal to him. So what if you prefer to make your items dark and evil-looking? It's called 'style', and other people should learn to love it.
Your rival is The Craftsman, but you don't really care what some snobby jerk thinks, do you?

- The Cultist: Power! Power! You have plenty, but you want -more-. Your dealings in the dark have granted you access to Infernal Beasts - the animals of Hell - to aid you and The Villain on the path to MORE POWER. Bringing The Villain back from death is a paltry task for you. With him on the throne, you can convert the masses to the worship of your patron, or maybe even -you-, giving you access to everything you could possibly desire and more.
Your rival is The Adept. You know he's after power as much as you are. Don't let him get it!


~Optional:
- The Distressed: You're the one everyone's fighting over. The key to the throne. Don't you feel special? Possession of you brings everyone one step closer to the throne, though you have no real say in it. Even if you like one side more than the other, you can't interfere... at least, not overtly.
Every time you post, you can grant either The Hero or The Villain ten points, at whim. Or nobody at all, you nasty thing.



-POINTS (Hero/Villain Only):
This is a game, after all. While the goal is to capture/defend The Distressed each round, earning Points makes it easier. Both the Hero and the Villain start with 50 points, and they get 5 more points every time they or someone on their team posts (encouraging roleplay!). Both contestants earn 200 points each time a round is completed.
Their friends, however, are the true key to victory.
You cannot spend points to improve your powers through them, if no one's roleplaying them.
*For each 150 points spent on The Friend/The General, the Hero or Villain gain a bonus stat point or feat they qualify for.
*Equipment can be purchased from The Craftsman/The Minion at a rate of 1 point = 25 gold. You can also have your Craftsman/Minion cast spells on you at a rate of 25 points per spell level, but only up to second level spells.
*The Adept/The Cultist can summon animals with the Celestial or Inferal template, at a rate of 50 points per Hit Die. These creatures aid the Hero and the Villain in fights against their rival, under their Commander's control. If one is killed, they return to aid their Commander on the next battle.
*There is an extra advantage to whomever holds The Distressed at the end of a round. If their opponent spends points and does not have The Distressed, then the hold can cancel that by spending half the points they did. Their opponent does not get those points back.
*For every 500 points spent (among any of these), you level up.

-The Skirmish:
You may roleplay among your friends for as long as you like, accumilating points and enjoying each other's presence. However, while this happens, The Distressed is in one of your hands (and you may RP with them, too). The Distressed will stay there until The Skirmish is handled. Whoever does NOT have The Distressed must take the initiative, storm their opponent's fortress and fight the enemy commander one-on-one (or not, but only you two can actually cause damage to each other). The loser of this one-on-one fight is the loser of the Skirmish, and the winner is one step closer to victory.
 
Our Cast!

The Hero:
---
The Friend:
The Craftsman:
The Adept:

The Villain:
---
The General:
The Minion:
The Cultist:

The Distressed:
 
Huh. I'll look into making the villain, a eevil Bard!

Or maybe some incarnum guy.
 
Name: Prince William Waverly Wendel
Race: Human
Age: 19
Role: The Distressed
Appearance:
A young man who is quite obviously the epitome of 'spoiled brat'. He has a oval face with large blue eyes and slightly curled dark brown hair. He would be attractive enough if it wasn't for the permanent scowl on his face and the crippling lack of likability in his eyes. They are always hard, angry, and become even more so when Prince William doesn't get his way. He is very short, slight, and perhaps rather ashamed of it. He almost always wears royal attire; anything fit for a king.
General Attitude:
For a Prince, William is not particularly princelike. He has incredible temper-tantrums, great gales of anger and frustration at not having everything he could possibly want. His moods fluctuate on a regular basis, and the object of his wanting changes daily; one day, a giant squid, the next, a chariot made of cheese. William is in this state due to always having gotten what he had wanted as a child, and he certainly WAS a demanding child. In regards to a more inner personality, he is spiteful and and self-loathing. He hates the fact that he has become a fancy, foppish noble that is more caricature than real. He wishes that he could break that mold, but feels confined by his hopeless materialism (his absolute love for anything tangible) and by fickle desires that only last quickly. Thus, he is resigned to his fate as a cartoon noble; rich, ineffectual, and laughable.
Strengths:
Clever, quick-witted, and at heart, very loyal. He's always considered an ally when it comes to battles of wit. He is very loyal to his mother's memory; despite that he has always expected that she secretly disliked him. and his siblings. He's particularly protective of his youngest sister, who torments him noticeably less than his other multitude of siblings.
Flaws:
Angry, bitter, and wise-cracking, William is not found of his circumstances and will happy to talk about it to anyone who will listen. He's particularly harsh to those who would fight over him, and often berates them with a quick wit and poisonous replies. He considers himself to be the one sane man in a world of crazies; and because of this, he tends to be incredibly scathing about people in general. However, the people he does trust, he trusts absolutely.
Backstory:
The only son of a family of women, William grew up pampered and spoiled. His mother, Queen Alice Wendel gave him everything he could have wanted, mostly to keep the child quiet. He was a fussy, temperamental child, and a terrible student to boot. His mother gave him a multitude of tutors; everything from dance to theology, fencing to philosophy, and he never did very well. Not because he wasn't bright, but simply because he didn't apply himself to his studies, due to sheer laziness. His childhood was mostly spent designing ingenious traps to torment his sisters with, which were always exceptionally clever and nasty.
When William was about six, his youngest sister was born, and he adored the tiny baby. The child was added to the previously empty list of things that William truly loved. He took care not to ensnare her in his machinations against his other, older sisters, and always tried to personally take good care of her when his mother was away. He read the small child many stories, and his cloudy temperament seemed to vanish in the presence of his youngest sister.
A few years passed. William started to pick up some of his tutors' teachings, mostly that of his history teacher, a crusty old man who told great stories of some of the fiercest battles, and his inter-species relations teacher; an excitable Kobold who was more enthusiastic about William's trap making than inter-species relations. He learned a lot from the Kobold, but he, like all tutors, was eventually sent away. Wiliam was left with only his old history teacher and his war stories. He began to crave a playmate, or some sort of companion to amuse himself with. He had never had a friend, and wanted one very badly.
When William was twelve, he asked his mother for a friend, and she gave a him a dog. A small, excitable white dog with wiry hair and big brown spots. William became rather close to the dog, and it too was added to the list of things he loved. He named the dog 'Prince', and Prince became his constant companion and friend. William began to pick up swordplay, and would often go into the woods with Prince hacking at imaginary foes before coming home to whine and want for pointless materialism.
When he was sixteen, he stopped making traps and practicing with his sword. He claimed to be bored with that, after four years of practicing, considering himself to be a master of that. He instead applied himself to the fine art of being a spoiled brat; whining whenever he was told that he couldn't do something. His life now revolved around the palace, and demanding attention from his mother and her various advisers and diplomats. His littlest sister was now six, and he still spent a great deal of time with her, though he knew he was getting to old for her games. However, William frankly didn't care.
When his mother died, William mourned privately and rather intensely for about a day or two behind a closed door. Nobody knew of his grief for his mother, or how many tears he had shed. After those two days though, he continued his usual resource-consuming existence, assuming that one of his older siblings would take the throne. When the truth of that was revealed to him, and the fact that there was to be a contest for the throne, William yawned in response. He figured it had nothing to do with him. How wrong he was.
He got dragged into this mess. Apparently, the Queen's advisers saw him as the perfect person for opposing forces to vie over. They hoped it would humble the proud prince, and maybe get him out of their hair for a bit. So, William was forced to be The Distressed, and given a few symbols of office, in order to make him look more official. William's exuberant spirit was rather squashed by this whole ordeal, and now he wants nothing more to make the life of whoever currently possesses him a living hell.

Name: Prince
Race: Domesticated Dog (Jack Russel Terrrier)
Age: 6
Role: Man's Best Friend

Then, of course, the dog started talking. It has been speculated that one of the Druid-Gardeners had a grudge against William, probably due to him carelessly trampling on the gardens. Thus, the Druid-Gardener decided to do the worst thing he possibly could imagine; give William's unconditional best friend the personality of a self-pitying, dry, sardonic man. Prince was happy to oblige, and he and William have been at odds ever since. At Prince's heart, he's still very loyal to William and loves him very much... but he enjoys tormenting him more.
 
This sounds like a good idea.

I think I'll start working on the cultist, and try and get something up soon.
 
I guess that makes me The Hero - a rather standard Hound Archon. I need me some friends! D=
 
Woz gunna go with the general, but itz troo. da frozty fing needs a 'and
 
Well, got a plan or two for winning round one worked out. The first plan is of course the best, but it's also pretty "cheap" so it'll be used only if I feel like I need it (And actually have the players to pull it off). Also got a build, which will be posted after lunch.

As a side note, the minion role is the most important one for right now.
 
How Important?

Throughout the day I've been debating between switching to the minion istead of Cultist. Their both the kind of types I like...
It's basically between a power hungry manipulative magic user, or a slightly insane greedy crafter...

And I think I prefer the manipulative Cultist, but yeah, I could change, if no one else shows interest in minion, and yeah, it probably is more important. Equipment over summoned beasts....
 
As for me, I had to spend a feat just to be able to wear armor! As suck, Archy, I'm allowing the use of Flaws - but only the ones WotC published in Unearthed Arcana.

I'm just going for a straightforward melée type. I can only wear light armor at the moment, bu I'm hoping I'll get The Friend and The Craftsman to help me out with that.
 
Here we are - The Hero. Manly woman is... MANLY!

Name: Maria Tiller, the Guardian
Race: Hound Archon
Hair: Black and White (Border Collie)
Eyes: Blue
Skin: Tanned, Covered in Scars
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 179lbs.
Languages: Celestial, Infernal, Draconic, Common
Age: 22
Role: The Hero
Likes: Alchohol, getting into fights, wearing her 'Daisy Dukes' under her armor.
Dislikes: People who don't "work" for a living, getting called names, light one-handed weaponry.
She prepares for a fight by: Warming up, working out.
She celebrates a victory by: Getting WASTED.
She grieves a defeat by: Getting WASTED.

Appearance:
Maria is a large woman, this much is easily seen. Muscular and tall, her body inured against the destructive
forces of man and beast. She prefers earthy tones in her clothes, and is proud enough of herself to dress in a
slightly less than modest manner. Her arms and legs are thick as bedposts, her shoulders wide and powerful.
Unlike many, she maintains her powerful body through constant excersize and challenges. Her head is canine - that
of a well-formed border collie, though her body is furless - exactly like that of a human woman.

Personality:
Maria lives up to her name. She is fiercely protective of those around her, and those she cares about. She is kind
adn friendly to strangers, even enemies, as long as they conduct themselves with honor and dignity. However, once
it is proven to her that an opponent's honor is false, she gives no quarter, and asks for none. She is fond of
gentle animals - horses, sheep, and domestic dogs, and will often stop to admire such beasts. Nothing gets her
blood pumping more than hard work, a tough fight, or the thrill of the hunt. When relaxing, she prefers the bustle
of a tavern to anything else, and enjoys rowdy games. It should be noted, however, that she should be kept far away
from alchohol of any kind. She enjoys the drink, and gets drunk a lot faster than many would assume.. and she's an impulsive
drunk. She's known to swear up a storm, too. Caution: She's a biter.

Biography:
For as long as Maria can remember, she had been a shepherd. Though she looked nothing like her father and mother,
that's what they were to her. The farmlands of the kingdom needed tending, defending... and that was something she
could do. She had no brothers, so she had to do the work herself... and she enjoyed it. The feeling of strength,
of getting things done - the right way - filled her with a feeling of accomplishment. A tomboy in youth, her
rough-and-tumble attitude was attractive to a certain type of boy, though her canine face made parents caution
against romance... which was fine with Maria. She had the defense of the sheep and the thrill of the hunt to
keep her happy.

Along with the family dogs, she would watch the sheep... bandits and monsters were common to the farm, even the
strange, devil-like Infernal Beasts, which would attempt to prey on the animals and people of the land. Maria
could not allow this to happen - training herself, she became a powerful defender, putting her strength behind
both javelin and the massive sword she ended up making herself. She grew powerful, muscular, and proud...

It was during an attack by bandits that a group of soldiers, visiting their families in the farmland, found her. Maria's
mercy towards the defeated bandits shocked them, but her skill in arms was enough to prompt them to recruit her into the
army - after aiding her to repel the bandit attack. Once alerted to these attacks, the Queen herself sent guardians
to the farmland, freeing Maria to become a soldier.

She's served as a solider in the defense of the kingdom ever since. The death of the queen was a sad time for her, but
many of her friends in the army stated that the canidate for The Villain might recall the farm's guardians... and that she
should try out to become the next Ruler. Drunk out of her wits at the time, she agreed, and trounced the other canidates
for The Hero in combat, quite easily... still very drunk.

Now stuck with her choice, she's determined to have fun with the competition, considering it an ample test of her powers.
If she wins, well... she'll have to play that by ear. For now, though, she'll need another drink... Does the kingdom
really need a tough, alchoholic, foulmouthed warrior for a Queen?

Class: Hound Archon
Level: 1

Str: 16 | +3
Dex: 14 | +2
Con: 14 | +2
Int: 8 | -1
Wis: 12 | +1
Cha: 10 | +0

HP: 10
BAB: +1
AC: 18 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 2
Fort: +1 | 2 | 2 | -3
Ref: +4 | 2 | 2 | 0
Will: +3 | 2 | 1 | 0

Melee Attack: Greatsword: +4 attack, 2d6+5 damage.
Ranged Attack: Javelin +3 attack, 1d8+3 damage.

Racial Traits:
- Starting Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Str, +2 Wis.
Hound archons are built for power and alertness.
- Speed: Hound archon land speed is 40 feet.
- Darkvision: Hound archons can see in the dark up to 60
feet.
- Low-Light Vision: Hound archons can see twice as far as
a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar
conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to
distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Saves: +4 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
- Alternate Form: A hound archon may assume the form of
any normal canine animal (dog, wolf, hyena, or the like)
as a standard action, similar to the polymorph self spell but
allowing only canine forms. While in canine form, a
hound archon’s land speed becomes 60 feet, and it gains a
+4 circumstance bonus on Hide and Survival checks.
- Automatic Languages: Celestial, Infernal, and Draconic.
- Favored Class: Hound archon. The best multiclassing
choices for a hound archon are fighter, cleric, and ranger.

Class Features:
- Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Hound archons are
proficient with all simple and martial weapons, but not
with armor or shields.
- Subtypes (Good, Lawful)
- Bite 1d6
- +2 natural armor
- Electricity Resistance 5

Feats:
- Armor Proficiency (Light): You can wear light armor without penalty.
- Martial Study (Devoted Spirit): Gain Intimidate and the Crusader's Strike manuver.
- Martial Stance: Gain the Martial Spirit stance.

Flaws:
- Meager Fortitude: -3 Fortitude.
- Unreactive: -6 Initiative.

Skills:
Concentration (Con): +2 | 2 | 0 | 0
Craft: Weaponsmithing (Int): +1 | -1 | 2 | 0
Hide (Dex): +2 | 2 | 0 | 0
Jump (Str): +7 | 3 | 4 | 0
Listen (Wis): +5 | 1 | 4 | 0
Move Silently (Dex): +2 | 2 | 0 | 0
Profession: Soldier (Wis): +3 | 1 | 2 | 0
Profession: Shepherd (Wis): +3 | 1 | 2 | 0
Sense Motive (Wis): +5 | 1 | 4 | 0
Spot (Wis): +5 | 1 | 4 | 0
Survival (Wis): +3 | 1 | 2 | 0
----
Knowledge: Nobility (Int): +0 | -1 | 1 | 0
Speak Language (N/A): +1 | 1


Equipment: 40gp leftover
- Greatsword (50gp)
- 10 Javelins (10gp)
- Chain Shirt (100gp)
 
Name: Dognar "Cyclopes" Bunbar
Race: Half-Orc
Hair: Bald
Eyes: Naturally black but one has turned white and has a scar running across it.
Skin: Grey with many ritual and battle scars.
Height: 7'
Weight: 245lbs.
Languages: Common, Orc
Age: 18
Role: The Friend
Likes: A good fight, a good drink, a good meal and a good friend.
Dislikes: Not having a good drink/fight/meal/friend. "komplikashuns"
He prepares for a fight by: Grabbing his double axe and bellowing loudly.
She celebrates a victory by: Scaring himself if he wasn't scared in the fight, then heading for the nearest tavern.
She grieves a defeat by: marking any scars he received in the fight to make them stand out from the others. Then heading for the nearest tavern.

Appearance:
For an orc, and Dognar has plenty to go around. He doesn't bother much with armor or clothing other than whats needed not to be thrown out of the city and whatever uniform he had been assigned, usually a simple tunic invariable too small for him. That does stand out in the massive double axe he carries the iron blade decorated with orc symbols and scattered dwarven writing. One of his prominent teeth has been chipped so only one of them remains jutting over his upper lip.

Personality:
Fiercely protective of "Da lil' frendz" as he calls his friends he only bares a little of the sullenness typicaly associated with his race, but all the temper. Prone to get grumpy when deprived of his comforts (which are pretty basic) he is nonetheless an enthusiastic (is somewhat unskilled singer) though all his songs are invariably in the orc tongue and indecipherable to those less than fluent in it's subtleties.

Biography:
Born to one of the barbaric tribes of the countryside he enjoyed the simple life of feasting, hunting and generally knocking things about until he got older and started being viewed as a threat by the chieftain who exiled all males when they neared maturity. Dognar nonetheless was stood his ground against the full-blooded orc and was almost killed for his trouble (gaining the scar over his eye). Saved only by the intervention of his family he went into exile and lived in the countryside where he lived before being recruited by one of the patrols who knew a handy fighter when they saw one.

Now a soldier in the queens army he served loyally meeting Maria shortly afterward and bonded over their mutual love of the country and appreciation of a good strong drink, and it was his less than sober roars and oaths that cheered Maria on during the trials.
 
Hm, the addition of flaws means I will be searching for a bit more before posting.
 
I'd like to go for the role of the craftsman. Wanted to know if there was any objections before I wrote my ideas down and got started.
 
I don't think anyones making a craftsman at the moemnt, so yeah as far as I;m aware no problems.

I'm now working on a minion instead, thouh i already have an almost complete cultist sign-up. You know, just in case....
 
I have a potential Adept in the works, if nobody else is already in line for the position, though if necessary, I can convert her over to Cultist with minimal effort.
 
Heres the minion. Might add more to her history later, like how she got involved.
We need more Villains...all the hero roles have interest, yet we only have a villian, and now minion. *coughandabackupcultistcough*

Name: Wren Fylda
Race: Half-Elf
Hair: Coppery red, it falls past her shoulders. It is often held back by a strip of clothe tied around her head, though a fringe is often allowed to fall across the left side of her face.
Eyes: Green
Skin: Naturally pale, but often darkened from the heat of the forge.
Height: 5’10
Weight: 155lbs
Languages: Common, Elven
Age: 20
Role: Minion
Likes: Gold, shiny stuff, procrastinating relaxing
Dislikes: Being forced to work or do anything, arrogance, people dismissing her work
She prepares for a fight by: Double checking all her equipment and enchantments, locking away her money for safety
She celebrates a victory by: Figuring how much more money she has earned
She grieves a defeat by: Forgetting about it

Appearance: A pair of human sized, yet pointed, ears are the main giveaway that Wren has a dual heritage, though they are often hidden by her hair, by chance more than anything. Her build is slender, however her arms and other muscles are toned from work, and just visible beneath her skin.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Her clothes are often a mismatch of different things. She always wears trousers, along with a pair of boots. When working she’ll just wear a shirt with the sleeves cut off, however outside the forge she’ll normally have some long sleeved variant, along with a few pieces of leather armour. At her waist she wears one of her own piece, a black dagger with a serrated edge, though whther it is magical is unknown.<o:p></o:p>

Personality: Wren at first comes across as lazy and carefree, and can almost always be found lying down, reading or doing something else that is no help whatsoever, and seems to merely be for her own entertainment. When told to do work she’ll often complain in a childish manner, and quoting random facts to try and get away with not doing it.<o:p></o:p>

However once coaxed into doing something she will attack it wholeheartedly, and it can be difficult to believe that she didn’t want to do it only moments earlier. She has a lot of care for her work, only excepting perfection. After all it earns more money.<o:p></o:p>
A guaranteed way to get her to do anything is to flash a couple of coins in front of her. She adores gold, and hordes all her money. She can often be found counting it as a method of getting out of something, and any suggestion of using or spending it is often met with a horrified response.<o:p></o:p>
She can be quite friendly, often making friends, or at least trying to, with the strangest of people. She rarely hold grudges, and she is loyal and close with anyone she calls friend. Until they ask her to do something that requires effort.<o:p></o:p>

Biography: Born from the love between a human blacksmith and an elven hunter, Wren was never a stranger to a forge. Raised in a mainly human town, though by both parents, she was always carefree, and easily like by those who knew her.<o:p></o:p>


As she grew up she helped her father with his work, at first just tending to the till with the her mother, but later actually helping with the crafting. <o:p></o:p>

Getting older she began to grow bored with basic weapons, and began experimenting with other methods and enchantments, finding help from old books, despite cautions otherwise, as she had no proper teaching. At first nothing ever went right, and she found it to be a waste of effort, but gradually little pieces would emerge successful.

<o:p></o:p>

Her work drew the attention of those who used similar methods, and they approached offering to teach her how to properly craft enchantments. At first she agreed, but she found her ideas, and methods often differed greatly from theirs, so after she’d leeched all the information she could from them she left, seeking to set up her own blacksmiths, and sell her own work. <o:p></o:p>
 
Ric, MeaZ, I'd be happy to welcome you both as the Craftsman and Adept ('cuz team Gud iz da bestest).

Digging our The Friend and The Minion! Though we're waiting on Archy for The Villain. See, he won't post it up until he has a clear, statistical advantage over Maria... That, or he's actually taking the tine to write out a backstory, in which case I owe him an apology.

I think Fluffy had her eye on The General, and I bugged Alarice about joining. She might fill up our Cultist role.
 
Oh, I have a build ready, it's just the fluff I need. It's a bit odd taking the Bard, which lends itself most towards a fifth party member jack of all trades, and trying to turn him into a single combat winner. The most broken things in this come from interactions between your rules and the normal DnD rules, not the character, and yeah, I'll be glad to point them out after a while.

Even with all the stuff I'm pulling, I'm thinking that just a raw fight with no points is only slightly in his favor.


Plus I'm kinda busy until tomorrow.

Granted the build was only ready late yesterday as I wanted it to be as good as it could be, but hey...
 
And The Villain, a bit overdue.

Name: Narsus
Race: Silverbrow Human
Hair: Brown, with white streaks
Eyes: Brown
Skin: Standard Human Flesh; neither pale nor tan.
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 165
Languages: Common
Age: 22
Role: The Villain
Likes: Bows, Song, Light one-handed weaponry, Women who try yet eventually fail to resist his charms
Dislikes: Blood, Women who immediately fall for him, women who successfully resist his charms
He prepares for a fight by: Humming inspirational music
He celebrates a victory by: Quietly watching the stars and composing music.
He grieves a defeat by: EXTREME ARCHERY

Appearance: Narsus is a tall, thin man, mostly free from dirt. He lacks the muscles of a man who has worked his whole life, and his clothes are those of a wanderer. There are a large number of scars on his body, but under normal circumstances the only visible one is a horizontal slash across his nose.
Personality: Narsus is very "chill", so to speak. Life's all about the journey and not the destination, you know. Because the destination is death.
Biography:
Narsus was born a city rat, but gangland violence didn't much appeal to him. He had a surplus of wanderlust and curiosity, so he learned how to read, write, and listened to all the stories he could. When he was old enough he started to set out on his own, eventually becoming a travelling storyteller himself.

His entry into the villain competition was more based on the fact that it would give him a first-hand account of the fights for the future. He didn't really expect to win, but hey, he got this far, so he might as well take the throne!

Class: Bard
Level: 1

Str: 10 | +0
Dex: 16 | +3
Con: 10 | +0
Int: 10 | +0
Wis: 8 | -1
Cha: 14 | +2

HP: 6
BAB: +0
AC: 17
Fort: +0
Ref: +5
Will: -2
Spells Used
0-0/2

Melee Attack: +3 to hit, 1d6 damage (rapier)
Ranged Attack: +3 to hit, 1d6 damage (shortbow)
Full-Round Ranged: +1/+1 to hit, 1d6/1d6 damage (shortbow)

Racial Traits:
- One extra feat at first level.
- Dragonblood subtype.
- Can use Feather Fall once per day +1 use for every 5 HD.
- Disguise Aptitude: +2 bonus on disguise checks, and disguise is always a class skill


Class Features:
- Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bards are
proficient with all simple weapons, light armor, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, and whip. Bards are proficient with all shields but tower shields, and can ignore the spell failure chance for light armor.
- Inspire Courage +1
- Loresong: Once per day, as an immediate action, you can get a +4 insight bonus on an attack, check, or save. This replaces Bardic Knowledge.
- Mimicking Song: Mimicking song is a spell-like ability that requires you to have 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill. Using mimicking song counts as one of your daily uses of bardic
music. You grant a +2 bonus on the Move Silently check of all allies within 30 feet (including yourself). This bonus increases by 2 for every five bard levels you have (to a maximum bonus of +10 at 20th level). This effect lasts as long as you continue performing.

Feats:
- Point Blank Shot: +1 to hit with ranged attacks within 30ft.
- Rapidshot: Make an extra ranged attack per round with a ranged weapon, both at a -2 penalty. Requires the full attack action.
- Dragonfire Inspiration: Instead of giving allies a bonus to attacks, saves, etc. with Inspire Courage, you can instead give them +1d6 fire damage to all attacks for each point of morale bonus they would normally have.
- Weapon Finesse: You can use your dex modifier in place of your strength modifier on some melee attack rolls

Flaws:
- Murky-Eyed: Roll miss chance twice for concealment; if either misses, the attack fails.
- Weak-willed: -3 to will save.

Spells Known
0- Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Summon Instrument, Light


Skills: (24 points)
Tumble 4
UMD 4
Concentrate 4
Perform (sing) 4
Knowledge (arcana) 4


Equipment: 40gp leftover
- Shortbow (30gp)
- Chain Shirt (100gp)
- Arrows (100) (10gp)
- Rapier (20gp)