Rise of the Monsters [D&D 4e]

B

Boss Frost

Guest
Original poster
Good wins. There is no denying that simple fact - no matter how many victories that Evil may gain, good always seems to rise back onto it's feet to crush the forces of Evil once again. Evil has taken many routes... from the ordered, regimented hobgoblins... to the foul, slavering hordes of the gnolls... even from the powerhouses that are the chromatic dragons.

...Yet, it seems a lesson in futility. The "Good Guys" use their teamwork, or their love, or their hidden, unique skills to somehow triumph. Several creatures have noted this pattern... yet many die before they can take advantage of it. So far, only one creature has gone through the proper steps to foster the 'perfect' creatures to battle the forces of Good.

This creature goes by Slothus... he is a very old, very fat black dragon. His progeny is famous for being some of the most powerful black dragons in the world, and the horde of Slothus is as legendary as his deeds when he was younger. This old dragon has hidden in his lair, under the aptly-named Black Swamp... and has gathered a few young individuals... mortals, to join him.

He has trained these mortals, had them live together - learn teamwork, foster friendships among each other. It is Slothus' belief that the powers of Good will be defeated by the powers that often saved them, used with intelligence and cunning by the forces of Evil. While forceful, Slothus has carefully crafted these beings as a skillful force for the force of Evil.

They are ready for their first... return... to the outside world.

----------------

Character Creation Rules:
Character may be at least open minded towards the benefits of Evil.
Level 1.
32 point buy.
120 starting gold.
Any class, any race.
Standard Deities.
 
"Nary a day passes that I view the world with a sense of sophisticated relevance, and yet it is with a strange and misplaced, and dare I say... naïve... lawful tendency that this realm continues to oblige the musings of my blade. One begins to stop and wonder of the very authenticity of their own genuine existence, but such trivial philosophical subject matter is certainly either above or below my purview of concern - I like to think below."

Hadron Redspy - Level 1 Male Eladrin - Class: Ranger - Paragon: N/A - Epic Destiny: N/A ;; XP: 0/0
Medium-sized - 120 years old - 5'9" - 145 lbs - Evil - Agnostic
Speaks Common and Elven
<table style="background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);" width="467" border="1" bordercolor="#ccffff" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3" height="208"><tbody><tr><td>AC - 16
</td><td>10+3(armor)+3(mod)+half level
</td></tr><tr><td>Fort - 15
</td><td>10+4(mod)+1(class)+half level
</td></tr><tr><td>Refl - 14
</td><td>10+3(mod)+1(class)+half level
</td></tr><tr><td>Will - 14
</td><td>10+3(mod)+1(racial)+half level
</td></tr><tr><td>HP - 27/27
</td><td>Healing Surges per day: 6
</td></tr><tr><td>Speed 6sq
</td><td>Initiative: +1
</td></tr><tr><td>Longsword
</td><td>Attack: +7, Damage: 1d8+6 (1h)
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);" width="400" border="1" bordercolor="#000066" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3"><tbody><tr><td align="center">STR</td><td align="center">18</td><td align="center">+4</td><td align="center">18</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr><tr><td align="center">CON
</td><td align="center">10</td><td align="center">+0</td><td align="center">10</td><td align="center">N/A
</td></tr><tr><td align="center">DEX
</td><td align="center">12</td><td align="center">+1</td><td align="center">10</td><td align="center">+2 Racial
</td></tr><tr><td align="center">INT
</td><td align="center">16</td><td align="center">+3</td><td align="center">14</td><td align="center">+2 Racial
</td></tr><tr><td align="center">WIS
</td><td align="center">16</td><td align="center">+3</td><td align="center">16</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr><tr><td align="center">CHA
</td><td align="center">10</td><td align="center">+0</td><td align="center">10
</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table style="background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);" width="400" border="1" bordercolor="#ccffff" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3" height="800"><tbody><tr><td align="center">Acrobatics</td><td align="center">+6.5</td><td align="center">+1</td><td align="center">Trained
</td><td align="center">N/A
</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Arcana</td><td align="center">+10.5
</td><td align="center">+3</td><td align="center">Trained</td><td align="center">+2 (racial)
</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Athletics</td><td align="center">+9.5</td><td align="center">+4</td><td align="center">Trained
</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Bluff</td><td align="center">+0.5</td><td align="center">+0
</td><td align="center">N/A</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Diplomacy</td><td align="center">+0.5
</td><td align="center">+0</td><td align="center">N/A</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Dungeoneering
</td><td align="center">+8.5</td><td align="center">+3
</td><td align="center">Trained
</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Endurance</td><td align="center">+2.5</td><td align="center">+0</td><td align="center">N/A</td><td align="center">+2 (bg)
</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Heal</td><td align="center">+8.5</td><td align="center">+3</td><td align="center">Trained</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr><tr><td align="center">History</td><td align="center">+5.5</td><td align="center">+3</td><td align="center">N/A
</td><td align="center">+2 (racial)
</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Insight</td><td align="center">+3.5</td><td align="center">+3
</td><td align="center">N/A
</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Intimidate</td><td align="center">+0.5</td><td align="center">+0</td><td align="center">N/A</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Nature</td><td align="center">+3.5</td><td align="center">+3</td><td align="center">N/A</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Perception</td><td align="center">+8.5</td><td align="center">+3</td><td align="center">Trained</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Religion</td><td align="center">+3.5</td><td align="center">+3</td><td align="center">N/A</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Stealth</td><td align="center">+1.5</td><td align="center">+1</td><td align="center">N/A</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Streetwise
</td><td align="center">+3.5</td><td align="center">+3</td><td align="center">N/A</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Thievery</td><td align="center">+1.5</td><td align="center">+1</td><td align="center">N/A</td><td align="center">N/A</td></tr></tbody></table>
Class/Race Features:
Lowlight Vision
Proficiency
(Proficient with cloth, light, and hide armor, plus simple and military ranged weapons)
Trance (Eladrin do not sleep, but rather enter a trance. Four hours of trance is equivalent to six hours of rest, and during trance Hadron is completely aware of his surroundings and impending danger.)
Fey Origin (For effects that consider creature origin, Hadron is considered a fey creature.)
Fey Step (Once per encounter as a move action, Hadron can teleport himself to any location within five squares.)
Eladrin Will (+5 to saving throws versus charm effects)
Two-Blade Fighting Style (One-handed weapons in the off-hand are treated as though they are off-hand weapons.)
Hunter's Quarry (Once per round, the nearest enemy can be designated as Hadron's quarry with a minor action. This subjects them to an additional 1d6 damage per successful attack on one attack per round. It lasts until the encounter ends, the target dies, or another quarry is selected.)
Prime Shot (If Hadron is closer than his allies to the target, he gains a +1 bonus to ranged attack rolls on that target. This is gay because it pertains to archery and not melee.)

Feats:
Eladrin Soldier (+2 damage when using longswords/spears)
Toughness (ranger bonus feat, +5 hp per tier)

Powers:
Twin Strike (strike with both main and off-hand weapon)
Hit and Run (after attacking, Hadron may shift away from the target without fear of an attack opportunity being provoked by that target)
Two Fanged Strike (once per encounter, attack with both weapons. If both weapons hit, wisdom modifier is dealt as extra damage)
Jaws of the Wolf (once per day, attack with both weapons. The damage dice for both weapons are doubled)

Equipment: (he's broke ¯\(o_O)/¯)
Feyleather Armor (Non-magical elven leather! Yes please! I'm an Eladrin, after all, big barrel of fey, so at some point in the past at least, I had to have access to it somehow! I paid 35g for it, which is 5g more than hide armor which is the same, but has a -1 check penalty. Seemed fair to me. +3 AC, 15.0 lbs)
Longsword x2 (Aptly named Scylla and Charybdis. 1d8 damage, +3 prof, 4 lbs each)
Longbow (1d10 dmg, +2 prof, 3 lbs. Shoots arrows, herpa durpum. Range is 20, long range is 40.)
Quiver (contains 30 arrows)
Backpack (Contains 50ft of hempen rope, two sunrods. Attached are a bedroll and a waterskin)
Belt with pouches (10 days of trail rations, flint and steel, and two wine bottles attached - one of the bottles is only 80% full.)
Characterized most particularly by his sharp wit and otherworldly sense of detachment from moral issues and obligation, Hadron Redspy is a swordsman of dubious renown and an ill-representative of his people. He possesses muscular definition but in a strange, gaunt fashion that borders on appearing sickly, wrapped entirely in pale, unblemished skin that seemingly shimmers with oscillating fey energies. His hair appears silvery but holds such a faint touch of blue that it is deceiving, as in different lights it may shimmer silver or a very light blue, but in either context it is never dull... it's as though it appeals to what the eye would rather see, as opposed to yielding to the natural order that one thing can only be one thing at any given time.

He chooses to garb himself in darker clothing characterized by those with a rather morbid sense of mind than the green, rich raiment of his people, making him both literally and figuratively stand out as the black sheep. His common choices involve formfitting attire that will not restrict nor complicate movement too much for a particular Eladrin who puts unfathomly high emphasis on combat utility for his species. Such attire will often include a milky white or a vibrant gray tunic wrapped at the hips by a richer black sash with an emblem of a full moon impaled by a sword in silver at the center. He also chooses to wear a black shawl over his shoulders, with a collar that conceals his neck as far up as it can (looking uncomfortable, in fact.)

His swords are holstered in a pair of black leather scabbards crossed behind his back, kept attached to his back by a pair of similarly black straps that criss-cross over his chest, going from over his shoulder to under his opposite arm. His pants are a silent black fabric that doesn't cling to his legs like tights, but isn't as baggy as normal adventuring attire either. It tucks into his (you guessed it, black!) boots rather well, giving him a good seal if knee deep in the marshes. His tunic cuts off at the shoulders, giving way to the black, long-sleeved shirt underneath which runs up to his wrists, cut off by a pair of gloves.

Background

Birth: Among Another Race - BOWDLERIZED (confers +2 Endurance)
Geography: Mountain - BOWDLERIZED
 
My own character, Ammit.

Name: Ammit
Race: Kobold
Class: Warlord
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Level: 1

Story: Ammit grew up among many, many brothers and sisters in a massive kobold den - her life was identical to the other kobolds. She would wake up in the cramped sleeping rooms, take her pick, mine out more rooms so that when she was old enough, her children would have a place to live and mine... and, occasionally, raid the surface world with her kin.

This was not to last, obviously, as the Good did not take kindly to this, and a group of adventurers who had met earlier that very day in a tavern went down and slaughtered the tribe - including the children. Ammit fought her hardest, though was easily brought down by a slice that cut her open from the front.

She fell... and, miraculously recovered, the wound scabbing over... she was alive, though she was the only one. Her tantrum was legendary, and brought down the den - a destructive display of rage, but a futile one. Finally, she made her way to the surface, ready to charge one last time at the human settlement, ready to die and take down as many of those 'good' bastards with her.

She was stopped... not by an adventurer, but by another monster. A young black dragon, who took her to his father - the Great Wyrm, Slothus... who had a deal for her. He would train her, and team her up with some others... and she would get her vengeance. Though at first unwilling to team up with the tall-folk... she agreed.

Personality: While her first interactions with her allies were strained at best, she eventually warmed up to them. Her rage against the forces of "Good" is infectious... she is an incredible leader. She pushes her own capabilities, becoming more than a kobold ever has before.

Str: 16 | +3
Con: 16 | +3
Dex: 11 | +0
Int: 14 | +2
Wis: 13 | +1
Cha: 16 | +3

HP: 28, Bloodied at 14. Surge heals 7. Surges per day: 10
AC: 16 | 10 | 6 | 0
Fort: 14 | 10 | 3 | 1
Ref: 12 | 10 | 2 | 0
Will: 14 | 10 | 3 | 1

Hair: Red Ridges
Eyes: Yellow
Skin: Black Scales
Height: 4'1"
Weight: 78 lbs.

Racial Traits:
Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Dexterity
Size: Small
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal
Languages: Common, Draconic
Skill Bonuses: +2 Stealth, +2 Thievery
Trap Sense: You gain a +2 bonus to defenses against traps.
Shifty: You can use shifty as an at-will power.

Class Features:
Combat Leader
Commanding Presence: Inspiring
Inspiring Word 2/encounter

Feats:
Berserker's Fury (PH2): Training in Perception. Once per day as a free action, gain a +2 to damage until the end of the encounter.

Skills:
Athletics: +8
Endurance: +8
Heal: +6
Intimidate: +8
Perception: +6
-Stealth: +2
-Thievery: +2

Equipment: 10 gold.
War Pick: +2 Prof, 1d8 damage. Pick weapon. High Crit, Versatile. 6lbs.
Chainmail: +6 Armor, -1 Check, -1 Speed. 40lbs.
Standard Adventurer's Kit. 33lbs.
Fine Clothing. 6lbs.

At-Will:
Shifty
Furious Smash
Wolf Pack Tactics

Encounter:
Guarding Attack

Daily:
Bastion of Defense
 
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Sharkfin.

Name: Sharkfin
Race: Human
Class: Rogue
Alignment: CN
Level: 1
Age: 17

Sharkfin is a dock rat, pure and simple. Short and skinny, with no shortage of scars, He has been caught thieving twice, as evidenced by the X's tattoed on the webs of his thumbs. His name comes from a long, thin scar that runs front-to-back across the top of his head where no hair grows.

One of the more notorious thieves and knife fighters of the Joca Docks district, he had eighteen murders to his name when the City Watch finally caught him. The trial was quick; he was a dock rat caught red-handed carving on a local merchant who'd failed to give in to extortion from the gangs. He was on Death Row awaiting execution (The gallows needed repairs) when Slothus arranged for his escape, making sure the boy would know who his benefactor was. Joca no longer being good for his health, he took Slothus up on his offer of...'employment.'

Name: Sharkfin
Race: Human
Class: Rogue
Alignment: CN
Level: 1

Hair: Black
Eyes: Gray
Skin: Medium-Tan
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 116 lbs.

STR: 16 | +3
CON:11 | 0
DEX: 20 | +5
INT: 10 | 0
WIS: 12 | +1
CHA: 12 | +1

HP: 23, Bloodied at 12. Surge heals 6. Surges per day: 6
AC: 17 | 10 | +2 |+5 | 0
Fort: 14 | 10 | +3 | 1
Ref: 18 | 10 | +5 | 3
Will: 12 | 10 | +1 | 1

Racial Traits:
Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity
Size: Normal
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal
Languages: Common, Undercommon
Human Defense: +1 to Fort, Ref, & Will
Bonus Skill (Insight)
Bonus Feat
Bonus At-Will Power (Riposte Strike)

Background: Urban/Poor/Criminal - +2 Streetwise

Class Features:
First Strike
Rogue Tactics (Brutal Scoundrel)
Rogue Weapon talent
Sneak Attack
+2 REF
Proficiencies: Cloth, Leather, Daggers, Shuriken, Hand Crossbow, Sling, Short Sword

Feats:
Weapon Focus (Light Blades)
Weapon Expertise (Light Blades)

Skills:
Intimidate +6
Stealth +10
Thievery +10
Streetwise +8
Bluff +6
Acrobatics +10
Insight +6

Equipment: 30 gold.
Leather Armor (15 lb)
Dagger (10x) (+3 Prof, 1d4 damage. Light Blade. Off Hand, Light thrown.) 1lb ea. (10 lb)
Standard Kit (33 lb)
Climber's Kit (11 lb)
Thieves' Tools (1 lb)
Total Load: 70lb

At-Will:
Deft Strike
Piercing Strike
Riposte Strike

Encounter:
Torturous Strike

Daily:
Checking Jab
 
Name: Carrion
Race: Tiefing
Class: Paladin
Alignment: Lawfull Evil
Level: 1
Deity: Raven Queen
Str: 16 | +3
Con: 14 | +2
Dex: 12 | +1
Int: 14 | +2
Wis: 14 | +2
Cha: 17 | +3

HP:29 , Bloodied at 14. Surge heals 7. Surges per day:12
AC: 16 | 0 | 6 | 0
Fort: 14 | 10 | 3 | 1
Ref: 13 | 10 | 3 | 1
Will: 14 | 10 | 3 | 1

Hair: Dark red
Eyes: Black
Skin: Brick red
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 200 lbs.

Racial Traits:
Ability Scores: +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Low-Light
Languages: Common, Dwarven
Skill Bonuses: +2 Stealth, +2 Thievery
Bloodhunt: You gain a +1 racial bonus to attack rolls against bloodied foes.
Fire Resistance: You have resist fire 5 + one half your level.
Infernal Wrath: You can use infernal wrath as an encoulter power.

Class Features:
Channel Divinity
Divine Challenge
Lay on hands

Feats:

Quick Draw: Draw a weapon with attack action, +2 to initiative

Skills:

Endurance (Con) +5
Heal (Wis) +5
Intimidate (Cha) +5

Equipment: 60gp
Chain armour
Light Shield
Scimitar
Standard Adventurer's kit

At-will:
Bolstering Strike
Valiant Strike

Encounter:
Infernal Wrath
Shielding Smite

Daily:
On Pain of Death

Story:

In a small hidden community a group of Tiefing had found relative peace and quiet, with very little contact except with a few dwarves for trade. They even had a small shrine, but they where discovered by the local humans who didn't like a group of Tiefing living independently right on their doorstep so while most left a small portion remained. Mostly they where those who were sick of running, and those who couldn't hold their inbred aggression back. They where slaughtered, and then the battle was over, a small boy came out of hiding, he looked at the ruined village around him and lost and broken went to the shrine, he prayed for the dead... and for guidance, desecrated with blood and destruction only the Raven Queen could hold sway over the shrine and she visited the boy, her voice giving him strength and purpose. Guiding him to evil's best hope. The black dragon Slothus.
 
Alrighty, there's a good load of characters. Once everyone's done with their respective sheets, I'll start the game (and still be accepting more characters).
 
working on the warlock. Have to check some things.

EDIT: done with first level stuff. turns out ritual casting is prohibitively expensive at first level unless it is a class feature. got everything done, just need to calculate defences, write out history, copypasta power rules, so on and so forth.

Also: Divine Oracle+Deadly Trickster=reroll city!
 
Something amusing: Every character I've seen from the point where I'm writing this has 16 Strength.

Also, the IC is up.
 
Name: Katherine
Race: Human (+2CHA)
Class: Warlock (Star Pact)
Age: 22
Alignment: Neutral
Level: 1
Hair:Brown
Eyes: Brown


Story:
One starry night...

Katherine was born under strange circumstances. Her hometown was nestled in between dangerous mountains, and fairly cut off from the rest of the world. It's a quiet rural farming town, where very little tended to happen.

One night, every single woman in town became pregnant. It wasn't found out until much later, but there it did happen, and they all gave birth on the same day. The children grew up quickly, and were incredibly..strange. They were smart, followed their parents orders, and did their work well. But at the same time they were secretive, and would gather late at night in the middle of town to do weird things. After this was found out, their parents tried to break up the meetings, to forbid their children from doing whatever it was they were doing.

Murder ensued.

Later some adventurers came passing through town, and found a single girl working to sustain herself among a town filled with the dead, bodies left where they had fallen. They got her to tag along with them for a while, and she got to know them. Most found her to be very strange, constantly mumbling under her breath and watching them do their thing with disinterest from afar. The priest, however, was ludicrously determined in getting her to open up, and some fruits were born.

Just..not the ones he wanted. Katherine was haunted, or, in her mind, blessed with nightly visions of some unspeakable horrors from beyond the normal boundaries of time and space. He got her to be quiet about them to the other party members while he tried to convert her to the church of Pelor, but his efforts were in vain. Eventually one of the other party members, a halfling rouge wondering whether his priest friend was getting far more sex than he was, discovered her visions and leaked the information to others. They were hesitant to do anything to her; while she was clearly strongly tainted by a vast evil force, the priest argued for her safety and she had been their traveling partner for quite some time.

So, instead of killing her or dragging her to a prison or some church, they let her go. It took her off of their hands, and left their consciences relatively clean.

Not long after Katherine was picked up by a black dragon and employed by Slothus. She accepted, as the dragon promised her a chance to worship The Great Unnamable Lord Of All on her own terms.

Personality:Katherine is something of a emotional center of the team. She tries to resolve any conflicts without hurting feelings, and cares for the well-being and teamwork of the group. Her normal personality is quite nice and friendly, but she also is a bit of a ditz/seductress*. And don't get her started on her religion. Just...don't. She'll talk at you for hours.

*this is mostly adopted with people outside Slothus's group of students, especially those she targets with mind-bending powers.

FEATS Improved Initiative, Intiate of Faith
AT WILL
Dire Radiance
Eldritch Blast (Cha)
Eyebite

ENCOUNTER
Witchfire

DAILY
Dread Star, Healing Word

TRAINED SKILLS
Religion
Arcana
Bluff
Intimidate
Streetwise
History

Str 8 (-1)
Dex 9 (-1)
Con 16 (+3)
Int 14 (+2)
Wis 13 (+1)
Cha 20 (+5)

120 GP to spend

Fine Clothing 30 6l
Leather Armor 25 (+2)
Qwick-e-Hero Kit (standard adventurer) 15 33l
Tent 10 20lb

40 left

Health and Defences
HP=28 (bloodied 14)
Initiative=+3
AC=14 |10 |2 |2
Fort=14 |10 |+3 |+1
Will=13 |10|+1|+1|+1
Ref=14 |10|+2|+1|+1

Speed 6sq
9 surges, heals for 7hp

Languages
Common, Deep Speech

Need to add in calculated values and such, but that's pretty much it.
 
Name: Pell Entir
Race: Shadar-Kai
Class: War Wizard
Level: 1
Alignment: Neutral
Deity: Raven Queen

Str: 10 | +0
Con: 14 | +2
Dex: 18 | +4
Int: 18 | +4
Wis: 14 | +2
Cha: 12 | +1

Hit Points: 24
Bloodied: 12
Surge Value: 6
Surges Per Day: 8

Armor Class: 14
Fort: 13 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1
Ref : 14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0
Will: 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0

Appearance:
shadarkai.jpg


Racial Traits:
-+2 Dex, +2 Int
-Medium Size
-6 Square Speed
-Low light vision
-Starting Languages: Common
-+2 Acrobatics, +2 Stealth
-+1 Fort
-Shadow Jaunt

Class Features:
-Arcane Implement Mastery(Tome of Readiness - Orbmaster's Incendiary Detonation)
-Cantrips
-Ritual Casting
-Spellbook

Feats:
-Expanded Spellbook

Skills:
-Trained
--Arcana(Int) +5
--Insight(Wis) +5
--Nature(Int) +5

-Untrained
--Acrobatics(Dex) +2
--Stealth(Dex) +2

At-Will Cantrips
-Ghost Sound
-Light
-Mage Hand
-Prestidigitation

At-Will Spells
-Magic Missile
-Scorching Burst

Encounter Spells
-Force Orb

Daily Spells
-Acid Arrow
-Rolling Thunder

Equipment
-Cloth Armor
-10 Daggers
-Quarterstaff (Staff)
-Spiked Chain (non-proficient; see MM picture)
-Standard Adventurer's Kit
-59 gold
 
Heyo mate. Are we waiting on someone in the IC? Or has interest dwindled?
 
I think we're waiting on Frost...Someone should yell at him.