Byron Grey, Dirge Singer [Archive] - Wizards Community

Byron Grey, Dirge Singer [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
The_Confessor
10-12-05, 07:45 PM So in the last session of my present campaign, I was killed. No huge thing. You face dragons, these kinds of things happen. The campaign focuses around the party's grand quest to restore the gods to their rightful place in the cosmos. The gods in this setting have been trapped in mortal flesh, and the players have been chosen to restore them to their divine status.

After debating for a long time, I decided to play a bard. To give it a bit of a twist, I looked at the (few) prestige options for Bards. Dirge Singer. That seemed kind of interesting, slowly a concept formed in my head. I wanted to know what people think of the background and if the stats accurately reflect that. So please, let me know what you think. Opinions, ideas, considirations. Input is always appreciated.

BACKGROUND:
Byron Grey was a romantic and a performer. His life was little beyond beauty and passion for most of his life. He had little money, but living among the nomadic troupes of performers and actors, he knew a simple happiness. He grew up alongside a young girl named Lydia and their youthful friendship grew into a passionate love affair.

Suddenly, swiftly, Lydia was killed. (I, as a player, haven't decided how). Byron was crushed, and his once pure and merry heart was consumed with grief. Slowly, he let the joys of life slip away. The beauty of art no longer came to him. He knew only tragedy and sorrow and his music reflected this. He became morbid and obsessed with death. It was as if his very soul was slipping away. His very flesh began to reflect his macabe obsessions. Soon, he was forced from the troupe of performers. They grew fearful of his dark madness, and feared that as his soul slipped away, he would soon go truly insane and either kill himself or them. When he finally allowed a necromancer to cut upon his flesh, he was forever cast out.

Still obsessed with Lydia, Byron became consumed with a way to return her to life. But no magic in the world offered that kind of hope or faith. Soon, a ray of hope appeared. Word of "The Godsenders" began to spread across the world. This motley collection of adventurers who had actually restored not just one, but many, gods to their divine place in the cosmos.

Byron had found his hope! He sought out the Godsenders and joined them. Now, if Byron can assist in returning the gods to their proper place, they will owe him. And he will collect that debt. Lydia will live again.

STATS:
Name: Byron Grey
Class: Bard 6/ Dirge Singer 3
Race: Human
Alignment: True Neutral

Strength: 12
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 18
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 19 (23)

Fortitude: +6
Reflex: +6
Will: +10

Base Attack: +6/+1

Hit Points: 60

Feats:
Tomb-Tainted Soul
Tomb-Tainted Vitality
Tomb-Tainted Fortitude
Requiem
Tomb-Tainted Resilience

Skills:
Concentrate (9 Ranks + 3 Ability = 12)
Decipher Script (9 Ranks + 4 ability = 13)
Hide (9 Ranks + 3 Ability = 12)
Intimidate (6 Ranks +4 Ability = 10)
Listen (5 Ranks +2 Ability = 7)
Move Silent (9 Ranks + 3 Ability = 12)
Knowledge: Religion (7 Ranks + 4 Ability = 11)
Performance: Song (12 Ranks +6 Ability = 18)
Performance: Strings (12 Ranks +6 Ability = 18)
Sense Motive (12 Ranks + 2 Ability = 14)
Slight of Hand (9 Ranks + 3 Ability = 12)
Use Magic Device (9 Ranks +6 Ability = 15)

Class Abilities:
Bardic Lore (+10)
Bardic Music
-Countersong
-Fascinate
-Inspire Courage
-Suggestion
Dire Song
-Song of Sorrow
-Song of Bolstering
-Song of Grief

Spells Known:
0th: 6
(Summon Instrument, Ghost Sound, Message, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Lullaby)
1st: 4
(Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Unseen Servant, Undersong)
2nd: 3
(Tongues, Invisibility, Tvash-Prull's Bonefiddle)

Spells Per Day:
0th: 3 (3 Base)
1st: 5 (3 Base +2 Bonus)
2nd: 4 (2 Base +2 Bonus)

Magical Gear:
Eye of Flame (Flesh-Grafted)
Shadow Veil
Cloak of Charisma (+4)
Hand of the Mage
Bag of Holding

Mundane Gear:
Masterwork Short Sword
Masterwork Whip
"Standard Adventuring Gear, etc"
Gingerbread Guy
10-12-05, 09:31 PM Interesting concept! I'm afraid I don't have Libris Mortis, so I don't have any insight into the Dirge Singer, but I'll try to comment effectively anyway. ^_^

When I see a character history that interests me, I always feel like I'm not really meeting the person so much as reading a biography. I always ask my players, when submitting characters for my games, to include three short paragraphs: One about their general personality, another about their mindset (hopes, fears, aspirations, etc), and another about what they feel their role in the party might be. While the third paragraph isn't very important, I feel the other two are. You write very well, and I'd be interested to hear more about what this poor fellow is like as a result of his background.

Also, on a more mechanical note, you seem to have a lot of macabre-sounding feats, but nothing that I would expect from the "romantic performer" you mentioned. Are we to believe that he started down the path to darkness prior to 1st level? This seems to conflict with the story..

~Ginger
monkmania
10-12-05, 09:58 PM sounds good... a bit more depressing than my dirge singer (gitaruman, his bio is here somewhere, but i think it's gone)...

mine turned to a life of darkness after every pie he made turned out to be poisonous and he killed all he knew in a freak pie eating contest (including his baker master... "master -- noooooo!"

he later apprenticed a bard in order to channel that emotion into something he could communicate with others, but ended up killing his master with a pie he baked "master number 2 -- nooooo!"

he's got max ranks Craft: Dessert.

anyways, dirge singers have great flavor potential. yours sounds perfect.
Llochlyn
10-12-05, 09:58 PM Hey, 18th romantism = Oooh my life is useless and painful, I'd better suicide right now, but I won't cause I'm also a coward, ooooh i suck so much

That is what we call goth people nowadays

Take a look at Dirgesinger picture (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/libris_gallery/84714.jpg)

Aha, not really helping, this guy was happy before...

But he was just a 1HD human on the way to become an elite musician, and the overwhelming pain caused by lover's death was the trigger to unleash his talent, in a twisted way indeed...

Maybe ?

[Edit : I'll just take a look at spells in libris mortis for my own evil bard, thanks for making it bump in my mind]

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The_Confessor 10-12-05, 07:45 PM	So in the last session of my present campaign, I was killed. No huge thing. You face dragons, these kinds of things happen. The campaign focuses around the party's grand quest to restore the gods to their rightful place in the cosmos. The gods in this setting have been trapped in mortal flesh, and the players have been chosen to restore them to their divine status. After debating for a long time, I decided to play a bard. To give it a bit of a twist, I looked at the (few) prestige options for Bards. Dirge Singer. That seemed kind of interesting, slowly a concept formed in my head. I wanted to know what people think of the background and if the stats accurately reflect that. So please, let me know what you think. Opinions, ideas, considirations. Input is always appreciated. BACKGROUND: Byron Grey was a romantic and a performer. His life was little beyond beauty and passion for most of his life. He had little money, but living among the nomadic troupes of performers and actors, he knew a simple happiness. He grew up alongside a young girl named Lydia and their youthful friendship grew into a passionate love affair. Suddenly, swiftly, Lydia was killed. (I, as a player, haven't decided how). Byron was crushed, and his once pure and merry heart was consumed with grief. Slowly, he let the joys of life slip away. The beauty of art no longer came to him. He knew only tragedy and sorrow and his music reflected this. He became morbid and obsessed with death. It was as if his very soul was slipping away. His very flesh began to reflect his macabe obsessions. Soon, he was forced from the troupe of performers. They grew fearful of his dark madness, and feared that as his soul slipped away, he would soon go truly insane and either kill himself or them. When he finally allowed a necromancer to cut upon his flesh, he was forever cast out. Still obsessed with Lydia, Byron became consumed with a way to return her to life. But no magic in the world offered that kind of hope or faith. Soon, a ray of hope appeared. Word of "The Godsenders" began to spread across the world. This motley collection of adventurers who had actually restored not just one, but many, gods to their divine place in the cosmos. Byron had found his hope! He sought out the Godsenders and joined them. Now, if Byron can assist in returning the gods to their proper place, they will owe him. And he will collect that debt. Lydia will live again. STATS: Name: Byron Grey Class: Bard 6/ Dirge Singer 3 Race: Human Alignment: True Neutral Strength: 12 Dexterity: 16 Constitution: 16 Intelligence: 18 Wisdom: 14 Charisma: 19 (23) Fortitude: +6 Reflex: +6 Will: +10 Base Attack: +6/+1 Hit Points: 60 Feats: Tomb-Tainted Soul Tomb-Tainted Vitality Tomb-Tainted Fortitude Requiem Tomb-Tainted Resilience Skills: Concentrate (9 Ranks + 3 Ability = 12) Decipher Script (9 Ranks + 4 ability = 13) Hide (9 Ranks + 3 Ability = 12) Intimidate (6 Ranks +4 Ability = 10) Listen (5 Ranks +2 Ability = 7) Move Silent (9 Ranks + 3 Ability = 12) Knowledge: Religion (7 Ranks + 4 Ability = 11) Performance: Song (12 Ranks +6 Ability = 18) Performance: Strings (12 Ranks +6 Ability = 18) Sense Motive (12 Ranks + 2 Ability = 14) Slight of Hand (9 Ranks + 3 Ability = 12) Use Magic Device (9 Ranks +6 Ability = 15) Class Abilities: Bardic Lore (+10) Bardic Music -Countersong -Fascinate -Inspire Courage -Suggestion Dire Song -Song of Sorrow -Song of Bolstering -Song of Grief Spells Known: 0th: 6 (Summon Instrument, Ghost Sound, Message, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Lullaby) 1st: 4 (Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Unseen Servant, Undersong) 2nd: 3 (Tongues, Invisibility, Tvash-Prull's Bonefiddle) Spells Per Day: 0th: 3 (3 Base) 1st: 5 (3 Base +2 Bonus) 2nd: 4 (2 Base +2 Bonus) Magical Gear: Eye of Flame (Flesh-Grafted) Shadow Veil Cloak of Charisma (+4) Hand of the Mage Bag of Holding Mundane Gear: Masterwork Short Sword Masterwork Whip "Standard Adventuring Gear, etc"
Gingerbread Guy 10-12-05, 09:31 PM	Interesting concept! I'm afraid I don't have Libris Mortis, so I don't have any insight into the Dirge Singer, but I'll try to comment effectively anyway. ^_^ When I see a character history that interests me, I always feel like I'm not really meeting the person so much as reading a biography. I always ask my players, when submitting characters for my games, to include three short paragraphs: One about their general personality, another about their mindset (hopes, fears, aspirations, etc), and another about what they feel their role in the party might be. While the third paragraph isn't very important, I feel the other two are. You write very well, and I'd be interested to hear more about what this poor fellow is like as a result of his background. Also, on a more mechanical note, you seem to have a lot of macabre-sounding feats, but nothing that I would expect from the "romantic performer" you mentioned. Are we to believe that he started down the path to darkness prior to 1st level? This seems to conflict with the story.. ~Ginger
monkmania 10-12-05, 09:58 PM	sounds good... a bit more depressing than my dirge singer (gitaruman, his bio is here somewhere, but i think it's gone)... mine turned to a life of darkness after every pie he made turned out to be poisonous and he killed all he knew in a freak pie eating contest (including his baker master... "master -- noooooo!" he later apprenticed a bard in order to channel that emotion into something he could communicate with others, but ended up killing his master with a pie he baked "master number 2 -- nooooo!" he's got max ranks Craft: Dessert. anyways, dirge singers have great flavor potential. yours sounds perfect.
Llochlyn 10-12-05, 09:58 PM	Hey, 18th romantism = Oooh my life is useless and painful, I'd better suicide right now, but I won't cause I'm also a coward, ooooh i suck so much That is what we call goth people nowadays Take a look at Dirgesinger picture (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/libris_gallery/84714.jpg) Aha, not really helping, this guy was happy before... But he was just a 1HD human on the way to become an elite musician, and the overwhelming pain caused by lover's death was the trigger to unleash his talent, in a twisted way indeed... Maybe ? [Edit : I'll just take a look at spells in libris mortis for my own evil bard, thanks for making it bump in my mind]