barbarian (ancestral guardian) Yod Ironbeard

[Shadeus]

Yod Ironbeard

Mountain Dwarf Folk Hero Ancestral Guardian Barbarian

 

Name: Yod Ironbeard

Character Concept: An unlikely championA melee-based tank/meat shield. who did not ask to be a hero but is reluctantly growing into the role and honoring past dwarven generations, driving to fulfill his destiny.

Class: Mountain Dwarf Folk Hero Ancestral Guardian Barbarian

Description: Yod is a stout block of a dwarf standing just under four and a half feet tall. His hair is brownish-red, and he wears long and frequently binds it to keep it out of his face. A thick beard adorns his chin, which he braids using a traditional Ironbeard clan method. He will frequently weave battle trophies into his braids. His arms and legs are thick and strong, covered with numerous scars, and his hands are heavily calloused. Several decorative tattoos are scattered on his forearms and back. He usually wears brown leather pants and a heavy cloak to keep him warm, and he usually distains when wearing shirts. Across his back is a massive hammer, his signature weapon as a stone crafter, and a smasher of goblin skulls.

Having an intense gaze, Yod wears a serious, intimidating expression. He has a loud, deep, gravelly voice from his barrel chest. He has a grumpy demeanor and will often mutter to himself as clearly the only person around with damn sense! Despite his outward appearance, the dwarf enjoys crude humor and loves to laugh. Getting beyond his gruff exterior takes more than just a casual meeting.

Having started as a stone mason and miner, Yod appreciates time spent underground and in the mines. He doesn't mind hard work or doesn't mind taking the difficult path in life as long as he gets where he's going. He's in no rush. Ever since he was burdened with the mantle of Ancestral Guardian, the frequent visits by ancient dwarven warriors have forced him to be more goal-oriented and driven. In battle, he is a relentless foe seemingly made of stone and can take hit after hit, whittling down his foes over time. He is resigned to his new charge and realizes he will never know a life of peace. But he is finding peace in the call of battle. When he does allow himself to relax, two things have to be there: poorly sung dwarven drinking songs and whisky....lots of whisky.

Your Character’s Plothook: The spirits have encouraged him to head to the Nightstone Inn to talk to Morak Ur’gray. He doesn't know why they are nagging him to go; it's something about his destiny. Yod has only discovered that Morak is a strong community leader with strong ties to adventurers.

Past is Prologue: Although he wasn't born there, Yod moved to Mirabar with his parents (Helja and Dain Ironbeard) and older brother Thorgar at ten. As soon as he was old enough to get a few whiskers on his chin, the young dwarf was given a hammer and a pickaxe and shown the family trade of masonry. But he learned far more than just how to use the tools of the trade; it was learning different types of stone, where to look for gemstones, how to shore up walls within a cave and in a home, and the finer work of sculpture. Yod found his big hands had little talent for carving statues, much to the frustration of his father, renowned within the clan for his skills. His brother did well on the business side of their craft and shrewdly grew their family's profits.

It was his 57th winter when tragedy struck the family; his father, Dain, died unexpectedly hard at work in the mines supervising a new excavation. A gas leak killed him slowly, along with a dozen other good dwarves. It was difficult for everyone, especially Yod, who idolized his father. Over time, his grieving lessened but still pulled at his heart. Later that same year, he was charged with setting up a sacred ritual for the Council of Sparkling Stones, a task his father would normally perform. It was an ancient rite that he had never heard of that honors their ancestors. Not being a community leader, he was only there to set up the rune stones and ensure everything went off as expected. As part of the rituals, spirits of past dwarves were summoned to give guidance and wisdom for the upcoming year...but they never came. With no purpose for the meeting, the Council ended early. Yod stayed to figure out what happened with the ritual; his father had specific instructions. After discovering that one of the runes was upside down, he fixed it and was suddenly surrounded by specters of dwarves long departed. Quickly overwhelmed, Yod passed out. And when he awoke, everything was different.

He had been bestowed the mantle of Ancestral Guardian, which created a link between him and his ancient dwarven spirits. At first, he thought it was madness when he heard voices and saw apparitions that only he could see. Going into denial of what he had become, it took the better part of three years to convince him that he was not insane. He hid the affliction from everyone, including his own family; it started to take its toll on his relationships with the living and drove him to drink to forget. It wasn't until his father's ghost appeared that Yod finally accepted the destiny ahead of him. He started to train as a primal warrior driven by an instinct beyond the mortal realm. Instead of searching among his clan to learn these skills, he was taught how to use weapons from Hlin Trollbane, a bounty hunter who made a name for herself in Ten Towns but retired and died in Mirabar many years ago. More than anything, she pushed him to follow his destiny to be a champion of dwarvenkind. In recent months, Hlin insisted he follow the Triboar Trail to the south to seek out Marok in the town of Nightstone. At first, he resisted going on some fool quest for a ghost, but then his brother brought up the name in an unrelated conversation. Finally recognizing it was more than coincidence, Yod listened to his calling and headed south to see what was so important for himself.

Loyalties: The Lords' Alliance has been trying to recruit him since he accepted the mantle of Ancestral Guardian. He's unsure how he feels about them because they can be insufferable bureaucrats. In some ways, they offer some semblance of peace and order that few other organizations can claim. But they often are prone to in-fighting and political arguments. Yod would instead settle those disagreements with a good brawl, but he can sometimes imagine words might be a better choice...but he doesn't have to like it!

Deity: Moradin and Clangeddin Silverbeard. Yod was a craftsman first and paid homage to the father of dwarves, having a strong appreciation for quality work, particularly stonework. Since taking on the role of Ancestral Guardian, he is drawn to the Father of Battle as the primal spirits of the dwarves long gone drive him to defend the dwarven way of life.

Is Might Right? That's the way things are in nature and life. The strong survive and can make the rules. There must be heroes to look out for those who cannot fight to keep those leaders honest. And if those people in charge grow corrupt, it's time to punch them in the face and fight back!

Music: Here are a few songs to help express Yod's personality:

• Working Man - by Rush - Yod's life before the ritual; he was happy as a mason!
• Release - by Pearl Jam - Some perspective of his denial after being transferred the mantle.
• Indestructible - by Disturbed - A bit of what it's like to fight against Yod.

Edited April 10 by Kamishiro_Rin (see edit history)

[Shadeus]

Yod Ironbeard

Shield Dwarf Folk Hero Ancestral Guardian Barbarian

---

AC: 15Dex bonus + Con Bonus | HP: 18/18 (1d12) | Speed: 30 ft. | Init: +1
Senses: Passive Perception 13, Insight 13, Investigation 9
StrSaving Throw: +6

Athletics: +6: 19 (+5) | DexSaving Throw: +1

Acrobatics: +1
Stealth: +1
Sleight of Hand: +1: 13 (+1) | ConSaving Throw: +6: 18 (+4) | IntSaving Throw: -1

Arcana: -1
History: -1
Investigation: -1
Nature: -1
Religion: -1: 9 (-1) | WisSaving Throw: +1

Animal Handling: +1
Insight: +3
Medicine: +1
Perception: +3
Survival: +3: 13 (+1) | ChaSaving Throw: +0

Deception: +0
Intimidate: +0
Performance: +0
Persuasion: +0: 11 (+0)

RageIn battle, you fight with primal ferocity. On your turn, you can enter a rage as a bonus action.

While raging, you gain the following benefits if you aren't wearing heavy armor:

- You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
- When you make a melee weapon attack using Strength, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll. This bonus increases as you level.
- You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

If you are able to cast spells, you can't cast them or concentrate on them while raging.

Your rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven't attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your rage on your turn as a bonus action.

Once you have raged the maximum number of times for your barbarian level, you must finish a long rest before you can rage again. You may rage 2 times at 1st level, 3 at 3rd, 4 at 6th, 5 at 12th, and 6 at 17th.: 2/2 |

Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish

---

Yod did some things. He said some things. He did some more things.

OOC

I don’t always put OOC content in my posts, but when I do, I put it in here.

Edited April 9 by Shadeus (see edit history)

[Shadeus]

@Kamishiro_Rin - Yod is ready for review! I'm looking forward to your feedback.

[Kamishiro_Rin]

On 3/21/2024 at 1:07 PM, Shadeus said:

Name: Yod Ironbeard

Neat image! Is Yod pronounced "Yohd" or "Yahd" or "Yawd", out of curiosity?

On 3/21/2024 at 1:07 PM, Shadeus said:

Character Concept: An unlikely champion who did not ask to be a hero but is reluctantly growing into the role and honoring past dwarven generations, driving to fulfill his destiny.

I like the idea of honoring past generations as a driving force. "What would the heroes of old think of me if I ran from this giant?"

On 3/21/2024 at 1:07 PM, Shadeus said:

Description: Yod is a stout block of a dwarf standing just under four and a half feet tall. His hair is brownish-red, and he wears long and frequently binds it to keep it out of his face. A thick beard adorns his chin, which he braids using a traditional Ironbeard clan method. He will frequently weave battle trophies into his braids. His arms and legs are thick and strong, covered with numerous scars, and his hands are heavily calloused. Several decorative tattoos are scattered on his forearms and back. He usually wears brown leather pants and a heavy cloak to keep him warm, and he usually distains when wearing shirts. Across his back is a massive hammer, his signature weapon as a stone crafter, and a smasher of goblin skulls.

Having an intense gaze, Yod wears a serious, intimidating expression. He has a loud, deep, gravelly voice from his barrel chest. He has a grumpy demeanor and will often mutter to himself as clearly the only person around with damn sense! Despite his outward appearance, the dwarf enjoys crude humor and loves to laugh. Getting beyond his gruff exterior takes more than just a casual meeting.

Having started as a stone mason and miner, Yod appreciates time spent underground and in the mines. He doesn't mind hard work or doesn't mind taking the difficult path in life as long as he gets where he's going. He's in no rush. Ever since he was burdened with the mantle of Ancestral Guardian, the frequent visits by ancient dwarven warriors have forced him to be more goal-oriented and driven. In battle, he is a relentless foe seemingly made of stone and can take hit after hit, whittling down his foes over time. He is resigned to his new charge and realizes he will never know a life of peace. But he is finding peace in the call of battle. When he does allow himself to relax, two things have to be there: poorly sung dwarven drinking songs and whisky....lots of whisky.

Great description and very provocative.

On 3/21/2024 at 1:07 PM, Shadeus said:

Your Character’s Plothook: The spirits have encouraged him to head to the Nightstone Inn to talk to Morak Ur’gray. He doesn't know why they are nagging him to go; it's something about his destiny. Yod has only discovered that Morak is a strong community leader with strong ties to adventurers.

Nice connection and extrapolation of the original.

On 3/21/2024 at 1:07 PM, Shadeus said:

Past is Prologue: Although he wasn't born there, Yod moved to Mirabar with his parents (Helja and Dain Ironbeard) and older brother Thorgar at ten. As soon as he was old enough to get a few whiskers on his chin, the young dwarf was given a hammer and a pickaxe and shown the family trade of masonry. But he learned far more than just how to use the tools of the trade; it was learning different types of stone, where to look for gemstones, how to shore up walls within a cave and in a home, and the finer work of sculpture. Yod found his big hands had little talent for carving statues, much to the frustration of his father, renowned within the clan for his skills. His brother did well on the business side of their craft and shrewdly grew their family's profits.

It was his 57th winter when tragedy struck the family; his father, Dain, died unexpectedly hard at work in the mines supervising a new excavation. A gas leak killed him slowly, along with a dozen other good dwarves. It was difficult for everyone, especially Yod, who idolized his father. Over time, his grieving lessened but still pulled at his heart. Later that same year, he was charged with setting up a sacred ritual for the Council of Sparkling Stones, a task his father would normally perform. It was an ancient rite that he had never heard of that honors their ancestors. Not being a community leader, he was only there to set up the rune stones and ensure everything went off as expected. As part of the rituals, spirits of past dwarves were summoned to give guidance and wisdom for the upcoming year...but they never came. With no purpose for the meeting, the Council ended early. Yod stayed to figure out what happened with the ritual; his father had specific instructions. After discovering that one of the runes was upside down, he fixed it and was suddenly surrounded by specters of dwarves long departed. Quickly overwhelmed, Yod passed out. And when he awoke, everything was different.

He had been bestowed the mantle of Ancestral Guardian, which created a link between him and his ancient dwarven spirits. At first, he thought it was madness when he heard voices and saw apparitions that only he could see. Going into denial of what he had become, it took the better part of three years to convince him that he was not insane. He hid the affliction from everyone, including his own family; it started to take its toll on his relationships with the living and drove him to drink to forget. It wasn't until his father's ghost appeared that Yod finally accepted the destiny ahead of him. He started to train as a primal warrior driven by an instinct beyond the mortal realm. Instead of searching among his clan to learn these skills, he was taught how to use weapons from Hlin Trollbane, a bounty hunter who made a name for herself in Ten Towns but retired and died in Mirabar many years ago. More than anything, she pushed him to follow his destiny to be a champion of dwarvenkind. In recent months, Hlin insisted he follow the Triboar Trail to the south to seek out Marok in the town of Nightstone. At first, he resisted going on some fool quest for a ghost, but then his brother brought up the name in an unrelated conversation. Finally recognizing it was more than coincidence, Yod listened to his calling and headed south to see what was so important for himself.

Aaaaah! I love this BG! It was really interesting to read and very evocative. Great pictures to accompany it, too!

On 3/21/2024 at 1:07 PM, Shadeus said:

Loyalties: The Lords' Alliance has been trying to recruit him since he accepted the mantle of Ancestral Guardian. He's unsure how he feels about them because they can be insufferable bureaucrats. In some ways, they offer some semblance of peace and order that few other organizations can claim. But they often are prone to in-fighting and political arguments. Yod would instead settle those disagreements with a good brawl, but he can sometimes imagine words might be a better choice...but he doesn't have to like it!

Interesting choice. I like it.

On 3/21/2024 at 1:07 PM, Shadeus said:

Deity: Moradin and Clangeddin Silverbeard. Yod was a craftsman first and paid homage to the father of dwarves, having a strong appreciation for quality work, particularly stonework. Since taking on the role of Ancestral Guardian, he is drawn to the Father of Battle as the primal spirits of the dwarves long gone drive him to defend the dwarven way of life.

I like it. You mention he's a craftsman. Will he have mason' tools? If so, make sure to create opportunities to use them throughout the campaign, and I'll also try to create opportunities, too!

On 3/21/2024 at 1:07 PM, Shadeus said:

Is Might Right? That's the way things are in nature and life. The strong survive and can make the rules. There must be heroes to look out for those who cannot fight to keep those leaders honest. And if those people in charge grow corrupt, it's time to punch them in the face and fight back!

Nice pragmatic, yet good-aligned approach!

On 3/21/2024 at 1:07 PM, Shadeus said:

Music: Here are a few songs to help express Yod's personality:

• Working Man - by Rush - Yod's life before the ritual; he was happy as a mason!
• Release - by Pearl Jam - Some perspective of his denial after being transferred the mantle.
• Indestructible - by Disturbed - A bit of what it's like to fight against Yod.

Good choices and help set a tone reading your BG. I also like that you gave each piece a context!

Consider this reviewed and I'll add your name to the Pre-Game IC-Thread!

[Shadeus]

18 hours ago, Kamishiro_Rin said:

Neat image! Is Yod pronounced "Yohd" or "Yahd" or "Yawd", out of curiosity?

This is a great question, and I appreciate how you spelled it out phonetically. In my head, it's Yahd (rhymes with "nod").

Even my own user name, I had always pronounced it SHADE us. But as I spoke to some friends from Germany, they always thought of the name as "sha DEUS" which I actually liked a lot better and switched. Anyways, thank you for checking.

18 hours ago, Kamishiro_Rin said:

I like it. You mention he's a craftsman. Will he have mason' tools? If so, make sure to create opportunities to use them throughout the campaign, and I'll also try to create opportunities, too

Definitely. He's not going to find a hunk of stone and look to carve it into a statue. But he's definitely going to be looking at the way structures are made and, if it's not high-quality dwarven workmanship, he's going to grumble and complain at how shoddy it is. It might be interesting if they get into a network of caverns if there's a chance to take advantage of his knowledge of stonework. That's an outside shot though; he'd rather just knock something around with his hammer.

Thank you for the review! I'm glad it came off well.

16 hours ago, Ayeba said:

I took a listen to your music. Not my personal taste, but I can definitely see how it fits.

Your concept is neat and interesting. Hope to see you soon in the in-game thread.

I appreciate your feedback! They are all songs I know, although I don't listen to all of them anymore. I was more a Disturbed fan when I was young and still playing soccer and had to get up for games. Pearl Jam is still in my playlist rotation, as I grew up with that grunge genre. And finally, I'm a huge Rush nerd (thus my avatar) and had to find a way to fit one of their songs into the mix!

Hopefully, the character comes together well!

Edited March 23 by Shadeus (see edit history)

[Shadeus]

Mountain Dwarf Lineage

Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution
Size: Medium
Speed: 25 30 ft.

  Darkvision. Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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 can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

   Speed. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.

   Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

   Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with the artisan's tools of your choice: Smith's tools, brewer's supplies, or mason's tools.

   Dwarven Combat Training. You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer.

   Stonecunning. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

   Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarfish.

   Dwarven Armor Training. You have proficiency with light and medium armor.

Source: PHB, page 20.

[Shadeus]

Folk Hero Background

Skill Proficiencies: Survival, Animal Handling InsightI switched out Animal Handling for Insight, mainly because it fits Yod better.
Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools, vehicles (land)
Equipment: A set of artisan's tools (one of your choice), a shovel, an iron pot, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Feature: Rustic Hospitality

Since you come from the ranks of the common folk, you fit in among them with ease. You can find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate among other commoners, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for you.

d8 Personality Trait

• I judge people by their actions, not their words.
• I'm confident in my own abilities and do what I can to instill confidence in others.

d6 Ideal

• Destiny. Nothing and no one can steer me away from my higher calling.

d6 Bond

• I am guided by the ancient legacy of my ancestors and to what I must to follow their path.

d6 Flaw

• I didn't ask to shoulder my responsibility and I'm still trying to figure out if I want it.

Source: PHB, page 131

[Shadeus]

Barbarian Class - Ancestral Guardian

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier + Tough feat
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per Barbarian level after 1st + 2 (Tough feat)

Proficiencies

Armor: Light, Medium
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None

Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival.

Starting Equipment

You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background.

•   (a) a greataxe or (b) any martial melee weapon (maul)

•   (a) two handaxes or (b) any simple weapon

•   An explorer's pack, and four javelins

Level 1
Rage. In battle, you fight with primal ferocity. On your turn, you can enter a rage as a bonus action.

While raging, you gain the following benefits if you aren't wearing heavy armor:

• You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
• When you make a melee weapon attack using Strength, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll. This bonus increases as you level.
• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

If you are able to cast spells, you can't cast them or concentrate on them while raging.

Your rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven't attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your rage on your turn as a bonus action.

Once you have raged the maximum number of times for your barbarian level, you must finish a long rest before you can rage again. You may rage 2 times at 1st level, 3 at 3rd, 4 at 6th, 5 at 12th, and 6 at 17th.

Unarmored Defense. While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

 

[Shadeus]

Feats

Level 1 Bonus Feat

Tough

Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to twice your level when you gain this feat. Whenever you gain a level thereafter, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 2 hit points.

[Shadeus]

Inventory

Worn

1. a coin pouch
2. a set of common clothes - Starting equipment (background)

Weapons

1. maul (2d6 bludgeoning - heavy, two-handed) - Starting equipment (class)
2. 4 javelins (1d6 piercing - thrown (range 30/120)) - Starting equipment (class)
3. 2 handaxes (1d6 slashing - light, thrown (range 20/60)) - Starting equipment (class)

Instruments & Tools

1. mason's tools - Starting equipment (background)

Other

1. an explorer’s pack - Starting equipment (class)
   • a backpack
   • a bedroll
   • a mess kit
   • a tinderbox
   • 10 torches
   • 10 days of rations
   • a waterskin
   • 50 feet of hempen rope
2. shovel - Starting equipment (background)
3. iron pot - Starting equipment (background)

Money

Money

Platinum (pp)	Gold (gp)	Silver (sp)	Copper (cp)
0	10	0	0

 

Edited April 20 by Shadeus (see edit history)