Creating Your Character

[Kamishiro_Rin]

Please do not post in this thread! Feel free to “clone” these posts to get the format, but don’t actually reply to this thread, please.

Creating Your Character (Part I-a)

The Application (Initial Post)

   To apply, please create your own character thread in the Applications folder. Please title it “Name LastName (if there is one) - Lineage Background Planned-Subclass Class”. E. g.: “John Pullerson - Half Orc Urchin Circle of the Moon Druid” or “Sir Benedict Fortstrider - Variant Human Noble Battlemaster Fighter”, etc.

   Unlike my Princes of the Apocalypse game, you do not have to set your thread to private.

   Picture. Please include an image of your character, no wider than 500 px. I’ll be happy, if your character is accepted into the game, to make a token for you using this image. However, you can make one yourself using the free software, Token-Tool, available at the link provided.

   Name. Your character’s name, titles, and family name, whatever they may be. Examples: “Grug”, “Benet Hombee”, “Lady Virginia Fairchilde”, etc.

   Character Concept. Pitch your character in one sentence.

   Lineage, Background, Planned-Subclass Class. You’re level 1, so very very few of you are going to have your subclass already.

   Description. Provide a written sketch of your character. What do they look like? Feel like? Act like? Seem like? More is not necessarily more, nor is brevity best. Definitely include skin, hair, and eye color; any distinguishing features (scars, signature clothing pieces) and mannerisms; typical costume.

   How do they come across? How is their demeanor? Their bearing? If I walked in and saw them from across the room, what would my impression of them be? Would they look gregarious and friendly? Inviting? Or would they look suspect? Scary? Aloof or stand-offish? Bored? Unamused?

   What sorts of facial expressions do they typically effect? Resting b***h face? An easy smile? Serene calm?

   If I saw them talking to someone else, would they be standing right up in their grill, leaning into them? Or would they be leaning back? Trying to escape the conversation? Just relaxing?

   Your Character’s Plothook. Players should create characters connected to Krynn and, if possible, to one another. They should also each have a connection to a mutual friend named Ispin Greenshield. Ispin has recently passed away, and the characters are invited to his funeral in Vogler.

   Vogler is no more. Please indicate whether you’ve lived in the city of Kalaman all your life, or when and why you moved there. You can also be a refugee from the east (talk to me and I can give you some information about that). You could also be a refugee from Vogler who watched his or her town burned down by the Red Dragon Army a few days prior, and you’re just now getting over your shock.

   Past is Prologue. What’s your character’s backstory? Who are their family? Their friends? Their enemies? Why did they start adventuring? How did they reach level one? Please keep it to absolutely no more than the equivalent of two A4-sized sized sheets with 1-inch margins (25.4 mm), double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman. I think I might have caused any college graduates to just suffer an aneurysm or triggered a PTSD episode with those criteria, but if you can’t pare it down to that . . . then it had better be really engaging reading.

   By NO means does it need to be two pages long! A couple of paragraphs is okay, too. The point is, write what gets across what you need to get across, but don’t write too much.

   Truths, Rumors, and Lies. One true rumor that another accepted character will be allowed to have heard about your character. One false rumor that a second accepted character will be allowed to have heard about your character. One rumor that could be true or could be false (it’s up to you) that a third accepted character has heard about your character, and can choose to believe or disbelieve as they like.

Include at least two of the following in your application:

   Loyalties. You are either being courted by or are a recent initiate of a faction, an organization on the continent of Ansalon for numerous purposes. See below for faction information. Why did you join the Faction? Who acted as your mentor?

   Is Might Right? What is your character’s personal philosophy on power and authority? From where does this derive? How is it wielded best and worst? Is might right, and if not, what is?

   Deity. Dragonlance is a world where the gods had withdrawn, but now, they’re starting to reassert themselves—especially in the face of Takhisis’s looming threat. They live and die and are real beings. Almost everyone worships at least one god, most worship multiple gods or whole pantheons. Atheism is very rare, and often has divine consequences. Yet others are spiritual without worshiping a god. What is your character’s beliefs, and how do they guide your character?

   Music. Tell me what your character sounds like, musically. You can give me a specific composer, band, style of music, or motifs, but music plays a large part in the games I run. No one’s judging your taste in music here, and I’d be more than happy to help you if you want suggestions.

   Please provide up to three links to Youtube videos showcasing the music you’ve chosen. If you only mention a genre (“Classic Rock!” or “Rap”), that’s fine, too. You can be as general or specific as you like (“Jimi Hendrix’s Woodstock performance of the Star Spangled Banner”).

   I’m a composer and I know a bit of music theory, so you can even speak in those terms, too! (“She’s the character equivalent of a tritone.” or “He’s the living embodiment of the Andalusian cadence played in a tresillo rhythm.”)

   Impressions. Your impression of other characters. This will help us develop relationships before the game starts. However, this is obviously not required because, depending on how many people apply, this will become burdensome.

   Images. (Other than your Character) Tattoos; images of animal companions or familiars; clothing items; whatever you like, and however many you feel the need to post.

   Connections. One or more living family member(s) they could visit, and who knows them and would give them and their friends beds to sleep in and a hardy meal in their bellies. They’ll even direct nosy stalkers in the wrong direction for you as best they can. BUT! One enemy stalking the world that has a legitimate grievance against them and is out there, looking for them to right your character’s wrong. I can’t promise either or both of them will come into play.

Acknowledgements

A lot of this application form was almost lifted whole cloth from Gregorotto’s application form in his Tyranny of Dragon’s campaign, in which I play Wendy, the Goblin Girl. I’ve modified it where necessary, and where I veer from his ideas. That said, I want to thank him for such a great and elegant application process, and I can only hope I can be half the DM he is.

Edited March 8 by Kamishiro_Rin (see edit history)

[Kamishiro_Rin]

Please do not post in this thread! Feel free to “clone” these posts to get the format, but don’t actually reply to this thread, please.

Creating Your Character (Part I-b)

Your Character (Mechanically Speaking)

   Please make several reply posts to your initial application post.

In the first reply post

   Please put your character’s lineage (race) features. It should look like this (You don’t need to put your posts in field-sets):

Example Lineage Reply Post

Kender Lineage

Ability Scores: Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) Choose three different +1
Size: Small
Speed: 30 ft.

   Fearless. You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the frightened condition on yourself. When you fail a saving throw to avoid or end the frightened condition on yourself, you can choose to succeed instead. Once you succeed on a saving throw in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

   Kender Curiosity. Thanks to the mystical origin of your people, you gain proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: Insight, Investigation, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, or Survival.

   Taunt. You have an extraordinary ability to fluster creatures. As a bonus action, you can unleash a string of provoking words at a creature within 60 feet of yourself that can hear and understand you. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or it has disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than you until the start of your next turn. The DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier (choose when you select this race).

   You can use this bonus action 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 that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character.

Source: DSotDQ, page 27

   Question: Can we be a flying lineage?

   Answer: Yes. Aarakocra were introduced a long time ago and I might as well let you use them. You can also be a Fairy or a Tiefling (Variant; Winged). I may end up regretting this, but I’d prefer to give you that freedom. I feel like I’ve already made enough restrictions.

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In the second reply post

   Please put your character’s background features. It should look like this (You don’t need to put your posts in field-sets):

Example Background Reply Post

Mage of High Sorcery Background

Prerequisite: Dragonlance Campaign
Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History
Languages: Two of your choice
Equipment: A bottle of colored ink, an ink pen, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp

Feature: Initiate of High Sorcery

   You gain the Initiate of High Sorcery feat.

   In addition, the Mages of High Sorcery provide you with free, modest lodging and food indefinitely at any occupied Tower of High Sorcery and for one night at the home of an organization member.

Building a Mage of High Sorcery Character

   Mages of High Sorcery are typically sorcerers, warlocks, or wizards and might have any subclass. Spellcasters who gain their magic through devotion are less likely to be welcomed among the traditionalist mages. Nevertheless, the Mages of High Sorcery are shrewd, and they rarely let unique opportunities or individuals pass them by. Even members of martial classes who train in magic might find a rare place among the group’s three orders.

   Mage of High Sorcery Trinkets. When you make your character, roll once on the Mage of High Sorcery Trinkets table instead of on the Trinkets table in the Player’s Handbook for your starting trinket.

Source: DSotDQ, page 30

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In the third reply post

   Please put your character’s class features. It should look like this (You don’t need to put your posts in field-sets):

Example Class Reply Post

Valor Bard Class

Level

Proficiency Bonus

Features

Cantrips Known

Spells Known

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

1st

+2

Bardic Inspiration, Spellcasting

2

4

2

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Bard level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: light armor
Weapons: simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: three musical instruments of your choice
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose any 3.

Starting Equipment

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

• (a) a rapier, (b) a longsword, or (c) any simple weapon
• (a) a diplomat’s pack or (b) an entertainer’s pack
• (a) a lute or (b) any other musical instrument
• Leather armor, and a dagger

   Alternatively, you may start with 5d4 × 10 gp to buy your own equipment.

Level 1 - Bardic Inspiration

   You can inspire others through stirring words or music. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.

   Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.

   You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

   Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.

Level 1 - Spellcasting

   You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in harmony with your wishes and music. Your spells are part of your vast repertoire, magic that you can tune to different situations. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the bard spell list.

Cantrips

   You know two cantrips of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn additional bard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, learning a 3rd cantrip at 4th level and a 4th at 10th level.

Spell Slots

   The Bard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your bard spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

   For example, if you know the 1st-level spell cure wounds and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast cure wounds using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

   You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the bard spell list.

   You learn an additional bard spell of your choice at each level except 12th, 16th, 19th, and 20th. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

   Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the bard spells you know and replace it with another spell from the bard spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

   Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your bard spells. Your magic comes from the heart and soul you pour into the performance of your music or oration. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Ritual Casting

   You can cast any bard spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

Spellcasting Focus

   You can use a musical instrument as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.

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In the fourth reply post

   Please put your character’s feats. It should look like this (You don’t need to put your posts in field-sets):

Example Feats Reply Post

Feats

Level 1 Bonus Feat

Initiate of High Sorcery

Prerequisites: Dragonlance Campaign, plus Sorcerer, Wizard, or Mage of High Sorcery

   You’ve received training from magic-users affiliated with the Mages of High Sorcery.

   Choose one of the three moons of Krynn to influence your magic: the black moon, Nuitari; the red moon, Lunitari; or the white moon, Solinari. You learn one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list and two 1st-level spells based on the moon you choose, as specified in the Lunar Spells table.

Lunar Spells

Moon	1st-Level Spell
Nuitari	Choose two from dissonant whispers, false life, hex, and ray of sickness
Lunitari	Choose two from color spray, disguise self, feather fall, and longstrider
Solinari	Choose two from comprehend languages, detect evil and good, protection from evil and good, and shield

   You can cast each of the chosen 1st-level spells without a spell slot, and you must finish a long rest before you can cast them in this way again. You can also cast the spells using any spell slots you have.

   Your spellcasting ability for this feat’s spells is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (choose when you select this feat).

Source: DSotDQ, page 32

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Your fifth reply post

   Make an Inventory reply to your thread. This thread will be updated as you adventure, with new items (mundane and magical) that you’ve acquired. In general, it should be itemized in the order you’ve gotten the items (so new items go at the bottom of the list). However, please separate them into lists by type.

   I’m not concerned with weight or value (see below), but I would like to see any special properties listed, and where the item was gotten. Items you’ve lost, I’d like you not to take off your list, but strike out and a note where you lost them, too:

Example

1. Longsword (1d8 slashing - versatile (1d10)) - Starting equipment (class)
2. Dagger (1d4 piercing - finesse, light, thrown (20/60 ft.)) - Starting equipment (class) - sold to the merchant in the village of Willow Watch
3. Heavy Crossbow (1d10 piercing - ammunition (100/400 ft.), heavy, loading, two-handed) - looted off a raider in the battle of Badger Hallow

   Your Inventory should look like this:

Example Inventory Reply Post

Inventory

Worn

1. a pouch containing 10 gp - Starting equipment (background)
2. a set of common clothes - Starting equipment (background)
3. leather armor (AC 11 + Dex) - Starting equipment (class)

Weapons

1. a dagger (1d4 piercing - finesse, light, thrown (20/60 ft.)) - Starting equipment (class)
2. a rapier (1d8 piercing - finesse) - Starting equipment (class)

Instruments & Tools

1. a lute - Starting equipment (class)

Other

1. a bottle of colored ink - Starting equipment (background)
2. a diplomat’s pack - Starting equipment (class)
   • a chest
   • 2 cases for maps and scrolls
   • a set of fine clothes
   • a bottle of ink
   • an ink pen
   • a lamp
   • 2 flasks of oil
   • 5 sheets of paper
   • a vial of perfume
   • sealing wax
   • soap
3. an ink pen - Starting equipment (background)

Trinket

06 - An old chess piece made from glass (PHB 159)

   Question: Are you going to make us do all that nasty, boring bookkeeping?!?!? Ugh!

   Answer: No. I will, however, ask that you keep your inventory reasonable and verisimilitudinal. In other words, I don’t mind if you have a bunch of stuff, but you might want to consider buying a cart to haul it all on, and a horse to pull it.

   Also, I’m going to check your inventory to see if you have the item you say you’re using if I don’t feel like I’ve ever seen it on your list before! “Waaait . . . when did you get those thieves’ tools?”

   Question: So, what can I buy, and how much money do I have?

   Answer: You’re a 1st-level adventurer. You have your starting equipment and any gold that came with your background. Alternatively, you can buy all of your equipment (above and beyond the equipment that comes with your background) using the starting-gold rules for your class. For example, a bard could instead start with 5d4 × 10 gp (average 125 gp) and buy whatever they want with it. You may roll or take the average. It’s up to you.

   First, you may sell any of your starting equipment at half price, rounded down, as long as you’re selling the equipment listed—in other words, you can’t sell the torches in your explorer’s pack, you have to sell the explorer’s pack as a whole. Obviously, you can keep any starting equipment you don’t want to sell.

   Question: Can I purchase this cool [item]?

   Answer: As long as it’s from one of the books listed in the “Game Expectations” link at the top of the game page.

AND

   It’s not Explosive, a Firearm (Artificers, notwithstanding), Futuristic, Modern, Renaissance, or Vehicle (Space).

Trinket

   Roll on any of the Trinkets tables available in any of the allowed supplements for your trinket. Alternatively, choose a trinket that appeals to you. List your trinket in its own Trinkets in your Inventory reply.

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Spellcasting

   If your character is a spellcaster, please make a Spells reply to your thread and list the spells you can cast, and make note of any thing about the spell such as concentration (use a copyright symbol after the spell name: ©), a ritual (use a Registered symbol: ®), or spell components that cost money (use “10 gp”, for the find familiar spell, for example, and name the component if specified, such as “1,000 gp diamond”). It should look like this (You don’t need to put your posts in field-sets):

Example Spells Reply Post

Spells

Cantrips

1. Minor Illusion
2. Vicious Mockery

1st-Level

1. Comprehend Languages ®
2. Detect Magic © ®
3. Identify ® (a pearl worth at least 100 gp and an owl feather)
4. Illusory Script ® (a lead-based ink worth at least 10 gp, which the spell consumes)

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Wild Shapes

   If you’re a druid, make a Wild Shapes reply and pick two environments that make sense from your backstory and list each of the animals from those environments that your character has seen and studied. Go ahead and list all the animals they could turn into and just strike out the ones that are restricted due to level. Don’t list any beasts that they’ll never be able to turn into (such as CR 7 beasts, or beasts that don’t exist in this time or place (dinosaurs)).

   Environments include Arctic, Coastal, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Hill, Mountain, Swamp, Underdark, Underwater, and Urban.

   It’s up to you, but consider putting statblocks for each beast that you know you’ll be turning into a lot for ease of reference.

Edited March 18, 2023 by Kamishiro_Rin (see edit history)

[Kamishiro_Rin]

Please do not post in this thread! Feel free to “clone” these posts to get the format, but don’t actually reply to this thread, please.

Creating Your Character (Part II)

The Fun Begins

   Okay! Now that you’ve made an application, make a posting template for your character. For now, your template does not need to contain any stats. It only needs to contain you character’s token picture, name, lineage, background, class, and subclass.

   Once you’ve done that, head on over to the In-Character (IC) thread and start talking to one another. This is part of the application process. I want to see how you roleplay and interact with others. I want to get a feel for your posting style. Have your characters get to know one another.

   That said, please enjoy this part, and rather than looking at it as a test, look at it as a free opportunity to do some RP regardless of whether you’ve been selected or not. You know that old adage: “Doesn’t matter; had s**!”, right? Think of it the same way: even if you’re not ultimately selected to play in this game, “It doesn’t matter, I got to roleplay, anyway!”.

   Unlike my other games, you do not need to wait for me to review your application to begin posting in the IC thread.

   Make sure to post in the Out-of-Character Chat thread that you’ve finished your application and that you’re ready for review. You don’t have to wait for me to review your application to start posting in the IC thread, but I still do want to review your application.

   Obviously, if you have any questions for me before you’ve finished your application, by all means, ask away in the OOC Chat thread.

   Please do not send me a friend request or a join-game request out of the blue. I’ll be the one to invite you to join the game as a player. Also, please don’t PM me a question that can be asked on the OOC Chat thread. You can certainly make a private section for my eyes only, in that post, if you feel the need to do so.

Discord

   I’d like to use Gregorotto’s Discord server and invite you to join it (if you aren’t already a member) if and only if I’ve selected you to play in this game.

My S**tty Eyesight

   So . . . yeah . . . as I’ve gotten older, and quite rapidly in recent years, my eyesight has started to go downhill. Yes. I already use vision correction. You are free to use whatever typefaces you would prefer, but please do not post in small point type. You might notice that I use Baskerville, 20 pt. type for these posts. The Titles are 36 pt., the Headings are 28 pt., and the Sub-headings are 24 pt.. It goes well with Century Gothic in 16 pt. for tables and boxes. These just happen to be my preference. Again, use what you want. My other request is not to use colored type that doesn’t strongly contrast with the parchment background. Light browns, and even medium browns just disappear for me against that background. Dark browns and other dark colors, in general, are fine. Brighter, but highly contrasting colors are fine, too.

   Thank you in advance for your cooperation and consideration for my crappy, deteriorating eyesight.

Edited March 17, 2023 by Kamishiro_Rin (see edit history)

[Kamishiro_Rin]

Lines & Veils

(Completely Optional)

   If you have certain lines you would like not crossed, or certain things that you’d rather occur in “fade to black”/off-screen/minimal description (a so-called “veil”), then add this to your application.