Carnadine, Dhampir Paladin Soldier

[JubalBreakbottle]

Carnadine

Description

The long black hair of this soldier cannot hide his sharp elven ears, unnerving alabaster skin, and golden, inhuman eyes. He wears an amulet with a raven’s head facing left amid layers of leather waterproofs over chain mail armor. A longsword and dagger hang in scabbards on his weapons' belt.

Traveling, he shoulders a veteran leather backpack, a brace of javelins, and shield.

 

Backstory

Carnadine was born in the camp of the Neverwinter army baggage train seventeen years ago. His human mother died in childbirth, so he was raised by a friend of his mother, Sildar Hallwinter. Well, sort of. Sildar had feelings for his mother, and even though Carnadine's elven heritage was obvious, Sildar paid to care for him. His only souvenir of his mother is a holy symbol of the Raven Queen.

The actual father never materialized, so Carnadine saw Sildar as a father figure. However only a figure, because Sildar was a soldier not a nanny and treated Carnadine like a new recruit during his childhood whenever they saw each other, which was infrequently. For example, Carnadine received a goblin dagger (that he still carries today) for his seventh birthday, as example of the paternal instinct.

Carnadine grew up idolizing the soldier life and trained to be one. Last year, he was hired by a soldier to be his shield-bearer and effectively his servant. Carnadine enjoyed the work, because it earned him coins and brought him into the life of a soldier. Three months ago, he was the only one to return of a squad of Neverwinter soldiers. He barely returned having had much of his blood drained by presumably a vampire. He claims not to remember the horror.

What he doesn't know is that the vampire attacked the squad at night killing the pickets and the rest in succession. Before the vampire could kill Carnadine, the Raven Queen spoke up and said, "leave this one alone." She could tell right away that he was a bad to the bone. "B-b-b-b-b-bad. B-b-b-b-b-bad. Bad to the bone." Leaving him in this state transformed Carnadine into a dhampir.

After recovering, the army did not want him, because his alabaster skin and golden eyes indicated that he was not the same kid who grew up in the army and bore the shield of a soldier who did not return. In the drama of teenage, it's a horrible curse! He lives in constant hunger which is slaked only by blood, so he grinds his teeth and lives in constant tension. The transformation has cost him his dream of joining the Neverwinter army. His friends are afraid of him. The only person who he can count on is Sildar. Sildar consistently reminds him that he is alive and that if being a dhampir was a trade for his life, it was a good deal. So, Sildar recruited him to his latest gig working for Gundren Rockseeker.

 

Personality

Traits:

• I'm always polite and respectful.
• I enjoy being strong and like breaking things.

Ideal: Neverwinter. My city, nation, or people are all that matter.

Bond: Sildar Hallwinter who raised me like a father.

Flaw: Hunger: dhampirs thirst for blood. Those who resist might find exceptional ways of controlling their urges or suppress them through constant, molar-grinding restraint. In any case, temptation haunts dhampirs, and circumstances conspire to give them endless reasons to indulge.

 

Ability Scores & Skills

Abilities	Strength	Dexterity	Constitution	Intelligence	Wisdom	Charisma
Scores	16	10	14	8	10	16
Mods	+3	+0	+2	-1	+0	+3
Saves	+3	+0	+2	-1	+2	+5
Skills	Athletics +5	Acrobatics +0 Sleight Hand +0 Stealth +0		Arcana -1 History -1 Investigation +1 Nature -1 Religion -1	Animal +0 Insight +2 Medicine +0 Perception +2 Survival +0	Deception +3 Intimidation +5 Performance +3 Persuasion +5

 

 

Race & Background

Racial: Dhampir

Background: Soldier

Ability Scores: Choose three different +1 Size: Medium Speed: 35 ft., climb equal to your walking speed Ancestral Legacy. If you don't keep any of those elements or you choose this lineage at character creation, you gain proficiency in two skills of your choice. Investigation & Perception Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness as shades of gray. Deathless Nature. You don't need to breathe. Spider Climb. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, at 3rd level, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free. Vampiric Bite. Your fanged bite is a natural weapon, which counts as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient. You add your Constitution modifier, instead of your Strength modifier, to the attack and damage rolls when you attack with this bite. It deals 1d4 piercing damage on a hit. While you are missing half or more of your hit points, you have advantage on attack rolls you make with this bite. When you attack with this bite and hit a creature that isn't a Construct or an Undead, you can empower yourself in one of the following ways of your choice: You regain hit points equal to the piercing damage dealt by the bite. You gain a bonus to the next ability check or attack roll you make; the bonus equals the piercing damage dealt by the bite You can empower yourself with this bite a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language (Goblin) that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character.

Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Intimidation Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set (Dice set), vehicles (land) Equipment: An insignia of rank, a trophy taken from a fallen enemy (a dagger, broken blade, or piece of a banner), a bone dice set or playing card set, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp Feature: Military Rank You have a military rank from your career as a soldier. Soldiers loyal to your former military organization still recognize your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other soldiers and requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to friendly military encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognized.

 

 

Class Features

Paladin 1

Hit Dice: 1d10 Armor Proficiencies: light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, shields Weapons Proficiencies: simple weapons, martial weapons Tools Proficiencies: none Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma Skills: Choose 2 from Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Persuasion, and Religion. Starting Equipment: You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background.     (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons     (a) five javelins or (b) any simple melee weapon     (a) a priest's pack or (b) an explorer's pack     Chain mail and a holy symbol Divine Sense: The presence of strong evil registers on your senses like a noxious odor, and powerful good rings like heavenly music in your ears. As an action, you can open your awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type (celestial, fiend, or undead) of any being whose presence you sense, but not its identity (the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich, for instance). Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the hallow spell. You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses. Lay on Hands: Your blessed touch can heal wounds. You have a pool of healing power that replenishes when you take a long rest. With that pool, you can restore a total number of hit points equal to your paladin level × 5. As an action, you can touch a creature and draw power from the pool to restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in your pool. Alternatively, you can expend 5 hit points from your pool of healing to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. You can cure multiple diseases and neutralize multiple poisons with a single use of Lay on Hands, expending hit points separately for each one. This feature has no effect on undead and constructs.

 

 

Equipment

Worn	Containers
Traveler's clothes - 2 gp Holy symbol (Raven Queen) Chain mail Shield Longsword Dagger Javelins (5)	Explorer's pack Set of common clothes Belt pouch 8 gp Bone dice set

 

 

Edited October 1, 2023 by JubalBreakbottle (see edit history)

[The Eyeball Kid]

Thanks for the app, very nice.

How does Carnadine feel about being a dhampir? Is it a curse? A blessing? Does he have any sort of personal guidelines on how he manifests his vampiric nature? It looks like you've chosen the Raven Queen as your deity, what sort of paladin will he be?

I've marked Carnadine as reviewed. Feel free to participate in the pre-game RP if you wish.

[JubalBreakbottle]

3 hours ago, The Eyeball Kid said:

Thanks for the app, very nice.

How does Carnadine feel about being a dhampir? Is it a curse? A blessing? Does he have any sort of personal guidelines on how he manifests his vampiric nature? It looks like you've chosen the Raven Queen as your deity, what sort of paladin will he be?

I've marked Carnadine as reviewed. Feel free to participate in the pre-game RP if you wish.

How does Carnadine feel about being a dhampir? Is it a curse? A blessing?

In the drama of teenage, it's a horrible curse! He lives in constant hunger which is slaked only by blood, so he grinds his teeth and lives in constant tension. The transformation has cost him his dream of joining the Neverwinter army. His friends are afraid of him. The only person who he can count on is Sildar. Sildar consistently reminds him that he is alive and that if being a dhampir was a trade for his life, it was a good deal.

Does he have any sort of personal guidelines on how he manifests his vampiric nature?

He finds the climbing ability and not being able to breathe cool. He has found some relief in eating some raw meat, but he hasn't bit anyone yet. I was going to roleplay that when it happens. And it will happen, when he gets bloody (less than half his hit points) and in melee combat with something with blood in its veins. He'll use his Vampiric Bite and be horrified with himself. When that happens, he'll start reflecting more on what he has become.

It looks like you've chosen the Raven Queen as your deity, what sort of paladin will he be?

I don't know. He'll go Hexblade for two levels before continuing in Paladin, so it will be a lot of roleplay before he takes an Oath. I planned for the Raven Queen to whisper to him to develop his character and guide him. Depending on how things play out, I could see him go Ancients, Crown, Vengeance, or Watchers.

Edited October 1, 2023 by JubalBreakbottle (see edit history)

[JubalBreakbottle]

Carnadine | Darkvision 60 ft | Perception 12 | Insight 12 | Investigation 11

HP 12/12 | Bite 2/2 | Sense 4/4 | Hands 5/5

Defense & Offense

AC 18 (Chain & Shield) | Move 35 ft, Climbing | Initiative +0

Bite +4 to hit 1d4+2 piercing damage, advantage when bloody
Longsword +5 to hit 1d8+3 slashing damage
Dagger +5 to hit 1d4+3 piercing damage, thrown (range 20/60)
Javelin +5 to hit 1d6+3 piercing damage, thrown (range 30/120)

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Edited October 5, 2023 by JubalBreakbottle (see edit history)

[BobtheWizard]

Hi Jubal. Love the character and hope we both get in. I think he should have 12 HP to start though. 10 for paladin +2 CON.

[astronavigatrix]

Okay so just putting it out there that if by some chance we both get in, Vez is definitely going to be like (handshake emoji) 'cause of Her Majesty.

[JubalBreakbottle]

9 hours ago, astronavigatrix said:

Okay so just putting it out there that if by some chance we both get in, Vez is definitely going to be like (handshake emoji) 'cause of Her Majesty.

Cool!

 

18 hours ago, BobtheWizard said:

Hi Jubal. Love the character and hope we both get in. I think he should have 12 HP to start though. 10 for paladin +2 CON.

Thanks. Corrected!