Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Dahrik 10-11-04, 01:46 AM	Hi everyone I'm about to run a tournament of arms in Sharn that several PCs are going to participate in (my pride does not prevent me from adapting overused cliches :D ). It is being hosted by the followers of Dol Dorn as a means to spread interest in his worship. I was hoping some people might be interested in making some opponents/NPCs that are also participating in the tournament. I can make a few well fleshed out ones, and a bunch of thrown together generic nobodys, but it's always more fun if there's more thought behind them than that. There are generally enough of us people who simply enjoy creating characters that I thought I might find a few here that are willing. The tournament is single or double-elimination (not sure which yet). Artificers are on hand to use Lesser Weapon Augmentation to make all weapons have the Merciful quality (deals only nonlethal damage, +1d6 extra). No magic items or spells are allowed. They go against the spirit of the tournament (the Dol Dorn sponsors want to promote physical strength and martial excellence). I'm shooting for characters between the levels of 3-7. Obviously I don't intend to do every single combat that the PCs aren't personally involved in. Just looking for enough to make it look like it's not just a bunch of NPCs pulled straight out of the DMG. One of the opponents I designed so far is one of the PC's sister, though this particular PC isn't participating. Both are members of House Deneith, and I figured that it only made sense that at least a few of its members made an appearance. House Deneith is already known for their excellent soldiers/mercenaries/bodyguards, but a little extra advertising by proving it wouldn't hurt. So, anyone bored and want to help a poor DM out? You know you want to. Really. Everyone has fun generating characters and backgrounds. ;)
JDubTrafficGod 10-11-04, 07:43 AM	Here you go. Fourth level Human Fighter. Try and get him high Con and High Str. In complete warrior theres a reach weapon called the heavy poleaxe, get him one. Heres what his feats should look like: 1st Level: Exot Weapon Prof (Heavy Pole Axe), Combat Reflexes, Weapon Focus (Heavy Pole Axe) 2nd Level: Improved Init 3rd Level: Stand Still 4th Level: Weapon Specialization (Heavy Pole Axe) Put him in the heaviest armor he can wear and still retain his dex bonus, also he should carry some javelins, cause that extra damage can be worth it. Well, there are the basics, its up to you to do the rest. This is a combo I want to use with my next PC, but currently I'm the only guy in my group with enough DnD exp to DM.
Ectoplasmoid 10-11-04, 08:31 AM	A darguun hobgoblin that thinks, no, knows, that he's the best in the tournament: EWP Spiked chain, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, and Weapn Focus Spiked chain are the essentials. His main stratagem is to disarm, trip, and taunt. A rekkenmark graduate, as haughty as she is skilled in the art of fencing: TWF, finesse, dodge,focus, and improved disarm. have her dance around her competitors, and dart in with her rapier/dagger combination.
Kinger 10-11-04, 07:54 PM	Can't go wrong with the quintessential sword-and-board warrior. Make him, say, a Dwarf, 5th level fighter. 1st level: Combat Expertise, Weapon Focus: War Axe, Improved Init 2nd level: Power Attack 3rd level: Improved Sunder 4th level: Weapon Spec (War Axe) Tactics for him are basically go first (improved init) and jack up the AC with Combat Expertise. Coupled with a Tower Shield and good armour this fella should be nigh-untouchable, and he can move around and attack and everything without dropping his AC at all. When he sees his chance, he can sunder the weapon/shield of his foe with a few good smacks, then go in for the (merciful) kill. I've seen Combat Experts withstand INCREDIBLE punishment and emerge unscathed. Sure, they may not hit quite as often as a raging Barbarian with a greatsword, BUT he will be hit MUCH less often. :) Wait... Would Sunder be any good at ALL with a merciful weapon??
Splendide 10-11-04, 08:21 PM	Gregus Ziltanico - Gnome Fighter 4 1st level: Dodge, Weapon Finesse: Rapier 2nd level: Mobility 3rd level: Combat Expertise 4th level: Spring Attack He's come to the competition expecting a lot of dull-headed lumbering hulks, and aims to clean up by exploiting their weaknesses. He has high Con and Dex, but average gnomish Str. He'll keep his AC as high as possible the whole time and rely on his spring attacks to keep out of range of full attacks. He's extremely polite (but not formal), and attempts to engage in distracting banter during the entire fight, often referring to notable people in the audience with a nod or gesture or the occasional holler. If he finds himself in a difficult position in the fight, he'll go into full evasive mode, attempting to wear his opponent out with his superior stamina by constantly moving around the arena. He will continue doing this until he himself is tired, which will take quite some time. If this appears successful, he'll come in to finish the job. If he finds himself winning the fight, he might take time to play up to the crowd a bit with flashy feints and if faring especially well, maybe a pre-emptive victory lap and dedication of the win to Dol Dorn This character is probably only an appropriate matchup in the early rounds, as by later rounds you could expect the organisers to have him disqualified for acting against the spirit of the competition.
Edymnion 10-11-04, 08:23 PM	This is a character I had in a game that just died because of schedualing conflicts. Wasn't made for Eberron, and is only lvl 1, but perhaps you can make some use of him:---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name : Durian Ryshal Gender: Male Update: Player: Edymnion Height: 6'1" MAX HP: 14 Race : Human Weight: 235 CUR HP: 14 Class : Barbarian Age : 22 Subdue: 0 Level : 1 Hair : Brown Align : Chaotic Good Eyes : Green Deity : Kord Hand : Right XP : 0 Size : Medium Speed : 40 Need : 1,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABILITY ABILITY TMP TMP SCORE MOD SCORE MOD STR : 16 : +3 : : : DEX : 14 : +2 : : : CON : 14 : +2 : : : INT : 12 : +1 : : : WIS : 12 : +1 : : : CHA : 10 : +0 : : : ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Armour Shield Dex Size Misc AC : 16 = + 4 + 0 + 2 + 0 + 0 Total Dex Misc Init : +2 = + 2 + 0 Base Attack Bonus (Melee) : +4 Base Attack Bonus (Ranged): +3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAVES Total Base Ability Magic Misc Fort : +4 = +2 + +2 +0 +0 Refl : +2 = +0 + +2 +0 +0 Will : +1 = +0 + +1 +0 +0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL ABILITIES / FEATS Barbarian Fast Movement (+10 Base Speed) Rage (1x/day) Power Attack Cleave ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LANGUAGES: Common, Elven, Orcish ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SKILLS Name Total Ranks Mod Misc Type Special Appraise +1 0 +1 +0 INT Balance +0 0 +2 -2 DEX Armr Check Pen Climb +5 4 +3 -2 STR Armr Check Pen Escape Artist +0 0 +2 -2 DEX Armr Check Pen Jump +5 4 +3 -2 STR Armr Check Pen Listen +5 4 +1 +0 WIS Literacy +1 2 +0 +0 Move Silent +0 0 +2 -2 DEX Armr Check Pen Ride +2 0 +2 +0 DEX Search +1 0 +1 +0 INT Speak Language +1 2 +0 +0 Elven Spot +1 0 +1 +0 WIS Survival +1 0 +1 +0 WIS Swim -7 4 +3 -14 STR Weight Carried Use Rope +2 0 +2 +0 DEX ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON TAB DAM CRIT RNG WGHT SIZE TYPE PROPERTIES Greatsword +4 2d6+4 19-20/x2 -- 15 lb L Slash Handaxe +4 1d6+3 x3 -- 5 lb S Slash Dagger +3/+4 1d4+3 19-20/x2 10 1 lb T S/P ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARMOUR CHECK MAX SPELL ARMOR TYPE BONUS PENALTY DEX FAIL SPEED WGHT PROPERTIES Chain Shirt Light +4 -2 +4 20% 30 ft 30 lb ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MONEY PP: GP: 102 EP: SP: 0 CP: 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQUIPMENT GEAR Backpack Greatsword Bedroll Handaxe Candle x4 Dagger x2 Case, map or scroll x2 Chalk, 1 piece x6 Chain Shirt Flask Flint and steel Ink (vial) Inkpen x2 Mirror, small steel Mug, clay Musical Instrument, Recorder Pouch, belt Rations, trail (per day) x3 Rope, silk (50 ft.) Paper (sheet) x10 Pitcher, clay Sack Signal whistle Tea leaves Torch x2 Waterskin (full) Whetstone ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAGIC ITEMS None ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION Standing a little over six feet, Durian looks rather normal, if noticebly more well toned than most. Wearing finely made, if rather ordinary clothes, he would appear to be a member of the merchant class, or at least someone that doesn't have to worry about where his next meal is coming from. Sturdy soled leather boots come half way up his shins, with dark blue khaki breeches behind dark leather greaves matching his boots. A dark leather jacket (you are beginning to wonder what this guy has against cows) covers most of his torso, although the front is open, allowing you to see a medium grade linen shirt covering what appears to be a shirt made of fine metal links and a thicker undershirt padding of a material you can't really make out. What really makes the man stand out as being something out of the ordinary is the fact that he has a very large sword strapped to his back via buckles attatched to his jacket. A sword that is almost as longer than some men are tall. Further inspection reveals a hard leather pouch hanging from the left side of his belt serving as a counterbalance to a hatchet hanging in a loop from the right side of his belt. You also make note that there appears to be the handle of a dagger sticking out of each of the man's boot tops. Taken all together, the man's size, his hidden armor shirt, and the rather obvious size of his weapon gives you the distinct impression that this is not a man you want to upset. You don't know quite why, but there is something about him that gives you the impression that you REALLY don't want this man mad at you, but you can't place your finger on the reason why. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BACKGROUND Durian is mechanically a Barbarian. As in, he's big, he's hard to kill, and when he gets mad, things die. However, thats as far as the similarities go. Unlike the stereotypical Barbarian, Durian is well educated (spent the points on Literacy), speaks several languages, and is overall quite well mannered and civilized. He does, however, suffer from what he sees as a curse. Unlike when most other people get angry and simply storm off or throw a punch, Durian is likely to go into a Berserker rage. The town elder told him that he would become possessed by the spirit of fury itself, perhaps as a curse (or perhaps a blessing) of Hextor. He learned to control his temper as well as he could, and thought he had it under control, until a relatively new member of the small town he lived in got drunk, and decided to pick a fight with Durian. Backed into a corner by the man and several of his equally inebriated aquaintences, Durian had no choice but to fight back. Just as it seemed he was about to win on his own, the thoughts of how he had been shunned by the other villiagers, how some would cross the street when they saw him coming, came flooding into his mind. Just as the men were about to run, he went berserk like never before, flying into a true Rage. The intoxicated man never stood a chance, and was dead before he hit the ground, while his fair weather friends ran as fast as their rubbery legs could carry them. Ashamed and afraid of what he had done, he voluntarily left his small town. With only what the town elder had told him about Hextor, he searches for a way to control his rage, and to use his "gift" against those he believes are responsible for his curse, the church of Hextor itself.Here's a heavy duty ass-kicking Warforged I'm playing, also lvl 1:---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name : Overdrive Gender: Male Update: 8-8-04 Player: Edymnion Height: 7'4" MAX HP: 15 Race : Warforged Weight: CUR HP: 15 Class : Barbarian Age : 5 Subdue: Level : 1 Hair : None Align : Chaotic Neutral Eyes : Dark Gray Deity : Hand : Right XP : 0 Size : Medium Speed : 20' Need : 1,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABILITY ABILITY TMP TMP SCORE MOD SCORE MOD STR : 18 : +4 : : : DEX : 12 : +1 : : : CON : 17 : +3 : : : INT : 15 : +2 : : : WIS : 13 : +1 : : : CHA : 9 : -1 : : : ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Armour Shield Dex Size Misc AC : 19 = + 8 + 0 +1 + 0 + 0 Total Dex Misc Init : +1 = + 1 + 0 Base Attack Bonus (Melee) : 1 + 4 = +5 Base Attack Bonus (Ranged): 1 + 1 = +2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAVES Total Base Ability Magic Misc Fort : +5 = +2 + +3 +0 +0 Refl : +1 = +0 + +1 +0 +0 Will : +1 = +0 + +1 +0 +0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL ABILITIES / FEATS Adamantine Body ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LANGUAGES: Common, + + ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SKILLS Name Total Ranks Mod Misc Type Special Armorsmithing +6 4 +2 +0 INT Use for Repair Climb +8 4 +4 +0 STR Intimidate +3 4 -1 +0 CHA +8 if STR used Jump +8 4 +4 +0 STR Listen +5 4 +1 +0 WIS Weaponsmithing +6 4 +2 +0 INT ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON TAB DAM CRIT RNG WGHT SIZE TYPE PROPERTIES Maul +5 1d12 x3 -- 20 2-H B ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARMOUR CHECK MAX SPELL ARMOR TYPE BONUS PENALTY DEX FAIL SPEED WGHT PROPERTIES Adm Body Heavy +8 -5 +1 35% 20 -- DR 2/Adm ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MONEY PP: GP: EP: SP: CP: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQUIPMENT ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAGIC ITEMS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION Overdrive stands nearly eight feet tall (the upper limit for Medium sized characters), his body covered by heavy armored plates coated with the nearly indestructible material known as Adamantine. This dark metal lies atop the underlying layers of fibers which serve as muscle to the goliath, which are themselves a deep reddish brown, almost the color of dried blood. When overdriving, Several of these plates (or sections thereof) extend out away from his body, while bright red strands flare to life amongst the muscular fibers, while small jets of steam pour out from major joints, giving him the appearance of being a barely contained explosion. In his hands is a massive sledge of stone and steel, like a two handed warhammer with much more heft in it's head. This weapon he uses with shear power instead of finesse, slamming it down on opponents as a carpenter would drive a nail into the ground, only with enough force to make the earth tremble beneath your feet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BACKGROUND Overdrive, as he has come to call himself, was crafted in the years preceeding the end of the War as an experimental model. The concept was simple, a combat model that would combine the base combat abilities of the Warforged with the ability to temporarily increase they're own strength and resiliance, a process that was dubbed "overdriving" by the artificers overseeing the project. Certain inbuilt training had to be forfeitted to make room for the new ability, but what was gained was an incredibly impressive fighting unit. When going into overdrive, pieces of the unit's armor plating would extend and rearrange themselves to make room for the suddenly increase in bulk of the fiberous strands that comprised it's muscle (which had the unforseen side effect of lowering the unit's overall defense, but it was deemed and acceptable tradeoff for the increased damage dealing potential). Circular plates on the shoulders spin to life, as steam began venting from major joints and a network of glowing strands came to life, like veins of fire coursing through the unit's chasi. The artificers were sure to be well rewarded for their breakthrough. Unfortunately, the overdrive systems had a startling regular tendency to make the Warforged harder to control in battle, more strong willed and bullheaded. In truth, it was discovered that going into overdrive would force all thought of strategy and adaptablity out of the unit's mind, leaving it to simply destroy all that stood in it's way. This was almost enough to end the project, but enough was salvagable to continue it, but for the final nail in the proverbial coffin. The strain on the Warforged's body from extended overdrives was extreme, and unmaintainable. An overdrive unit would become a monster comparable to the previous Warforged Titans while active, but in under a minute the strain caused a partial shutdown of the unit, resulting in drastically reduced strength and staying power. In the end, it was decided that the temporary boost in battle prowess was canceled out entirely by the extended weakness afterwards, and the uncontrollable nature while overdriving made the units a liability in delicate situations. The project was terminated, the test models slated for deactivation and redesign. It was at about this time the War ended, and the units were never destroyed. In fact, they never learned of their near brush with death at all (for it was deemed unwise to inform an overdrive unit that it was to be quietly put to death for fear of it's rebelling). Now these units, including the one who still refers to himself as Overdrive, roam the countryside with their more normal Warforged breathern. Few know that these models blend in with the rest, even amongst the warforged themselves. The ones that do witness one going into overdrive rarely survive to tell the tale.And this one is already lvl 4, a Shifter Artificer that could be interesting:---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name : Elyse Gender: Female Update: 9-17-2004 Player: Edymnion Height: 5'6" MAX HP: 24 Race : Shifter Weight: 110 pounds CUR HP: 24 Class : Artificer Age : 22 Subdue: Level : 4 Hair : Silver AP : 7 Align : Neutral Good Eyes : Light Blue Craft : 80 Deity : Omatar Hand : Right XP : 6,235 Size : Medium Speed : 30' Need : 10,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABILITY ABILITY TMP TMP SCORE MOD SCORE MOD STR : 13 : +1 : : : DEX : 14 : +2 : : : CON : 12 : +1 : : : INT : 16 : +3 : : : WIS : 11 : +0 : : : CHA : 16 : +3 : : : ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Armour Shield Dex Size Misc AC : 19 = + 5 + 2 +2 + 0 + 0 Total Dex Misc Init : +2 = + 2 + 0 Base Attack Bonus (Melee) : 3 + 1 = +4 Base Attack Bonus (Ranged): 3 + 2 = +5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAVES Total Base Ability Magic Misc Fort : +2 = +1 + +1 +0 +0 Refl : +3 = +1 + +2 +0 +0 Will : +4 = +4 + +0 +0 +0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL ABILITIES / FEATS Razorclaw Trait Scribe Scroll Brew Potion Craft Wonderous Item Craft Homonculi Extraordinary Artisan (Reduce GP cost for crafting 25%) Legendary Artisan (Reduce XP cost for crafting 25%) Point Blank Shot ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LANGUAGES: Common, Draconic, Gnomish ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SKILLS Name Total Ranks Mod Misc Type Special Craft (armor) +10 7 +3 +0 INT Craft (sculpting) +5 2 +3 +0 INT Craft (weapon) +7 4 +3 +0 INT Disable Device +7 4 +3 +0 INT Knowledge (arcana) +4 2 +3 +0 INT Open Lock +6 4 +2 +0 DEX Search +10 7 +3 +0 INT Spellcraft +9 6 +3 +0 INT Use Magic Device +10 7 +3 +0 CHA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEAPON TAB DAM CRIT RNG WGHT SIZE TYPE PROPERTIES Mace, Light +5 1d6+1 x2 - 6 Light B MW Xbow, Light +6(+7) 1d8 19-20/x2 80' 6 Light P MW Dagger +4/+5(+6) 1d4+1 19-20/x2 10' 1 Light P/S Boomerang +2(+3) 1d6+1 x2 20' 2 Range B Xen'Drik ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARMOUR CHECK MAX SPELL ARMOR TYPE BONUS PENALTY DEX FAIL SPEED WGHT PROPERTIES Banded Leather +1 LGHT +5 -1 +3 15% 30' 20 Shield, small +1 SHLD +2 -0 - 5% - 6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MONEY PP: GP: 16 EP: SP: 1 CP: 8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQUIPMENT Artisan's Tools, MW Blanket, winter Candle (x3) Case, map or scroll (x5) Chalk (x4) Clothes Artisan's Outfit Cold Weather Outfit Explorer's Outfit Courtier's Outfit Flask Flint and steel Identification Papers w/ Portrait Ink (vial) Inkpen (x2) Letter of marque Mess Kit Mirror, small steel Paper (x3) Pot, iron Pouch, belt Pouch, spell component Parchment (x5) Rations, trail (x7) Rope, silk (50') Tea leaves (1 pound) Tent Travelling Papers Torch (x2) Sealing wax Shovel Signal whistle Signet ring Soap (1 pound) Vial, ink or potion (x6) Waterskin (full) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INFUSIONS Level 1 - 3/4 Armor Enhancement, Lesser - Armor/Shield gains +1 ability Energy Alteration - Item uses differant kind of energy Enhancement Alteration - Shield bonus counts towards bash, weapon to AC Identify - Determine properties of magic item Inflict Light Damage - 1d8+1/lvl damage (max +5) to construct Light - Object shines like a torch Magic Stone - Three stones gain +1 to attack, 1d6+1 damage Magic Vestment - Armor/shield gains +1 or better enhancement bonus Magic Weapon - Weapon gains +1 enhancement bonus Repair Light Damage - Cures 1d8+1/lvl (max +5) damage Resistance Item - Bestows +1 or better resistance bonus to saveing throw Shield of Faith - Aura grants +2 or better deflection bonus Spell Storing Item - Stores one spell in an item Weapon Augmentation, Personal - Your weapon gains +1 ability Level 2 - 3/3 Align Weapon - Weapon becomes good/evil/lawful/chaotic Armor Enhancement - Armor/shield gains up to +3 ability Bear's Endurance - +4 Con for 1 min/level Bull's Strength - +4 Str for 1 min/level Cat's Grace - +4 Dex for 1 min/level Chill Metal - Cold metal damages those who touch it Eagle's Splendor - +4 Charisma for 1 min/level Fox's Cunning - +4 Intelligence for 1 min/level Heat Metal - Make metal so hot it damages those who touch it Inflict Moderate Damage - inflict 2d8 + 1/lvl (max +10) damage Owl's Wisdom - +4 to Wisdom for 1 min/lvl Repair moderate Damage - cure 2d8 +1/lvl (max +10) hp Toughen Construct - Grants +2 or better enhancement to natural armor Weapon Augmentation, Lesser - Weapon gains +1 ability ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAGIC ITEMS Burned out Wand Heward's Handy Haversack Stylus of Arcane Mark Potion of Cure Light Wounds x4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOMONCULI Isis, Expiditious Messanger Diminutive Construct Hit Points: 4 Init: +3 Speed: 20', fly 100' (perfect) AC: 17 (+4 size, +3 dex), touch 17, flatfooted 14 Base Attac/Grapple: +0/-17 (1d2) Attack: Sting +7 melee (1d2) Full Attack: Sting +7 melee (1d2) Space/Reach: 1'/0' Special Attacks: -- Special Qualities: Construct traits, darkvision 60', low-light vision, message Saves: Fort +0, Ref +5, Will +0 Abilities: Str 1, Dex 17, Con --, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 7 Skills: Escape Artist +7, Hide +15 Feats: Lightning Reflexes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION Elyse stands approximately five and a half feet tall, and shows strongly of her feline ancestory thanks to a flat nose, high cheekbones, and her sharply pointed canine teeth. Her skin is rather on the pale side, while her hair is almost silver in color. The hair on her head is nearly waiste length, and gathered in colored ribbons into a loose ponytail, while the hair on her arms and legs resembles short silvery-white fur more than anything else. Icey blue eyes round out her cat-like look, right down to the slitted pupils. She prefers semi-loose gown split riding style (aka it splits in a V in the front and the back up to about her knees), typically in shades of Blue, Silver, and Purple when in more civilized areas. When in more dangerous areas, she dons a suit of armor of her own design, similar to banded armor, except instead of steel, the bands are of stiffened leather, giving her a fair bit of protection, while still retaining enough flexibility keep from getting in the way. Elyse tries her best to fit in with the more "civilized" members of society, trying to be more than "just a shifter". Most of the time, she seems perfectly calm and patient, but is prone losing her temper and snapping at those around her. She's happiest when she has something to work on with her hands, and the peace and quiet required to do it in. When someone does manage to upset her enough to show (usually by making remarks about her being a Shifter, and therefor unfit to be an Artificer), they usually regret it. She has a very bad habit of shifting when angry, and letting her claws do the talking. Normally though, she likes browsing through trinkets looking for anything that catches her eye. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BACKGROUND Born in the Eldeen Reaches, Elyse never quite fit in with the others of her kind. Where they were rambunctious, she was more quiet, more apt to wait things out and watch than to dive into a fight she might not win. She would have been destined to become a ranger or a hunter like many of her childhood aquiantences if not for one fateful turn of events. A small skirmish from the War took place not far from their villiage. She did not know who was fighting, or really even why at that age, but she remembers the victors passed through her villiage on their way home. One, a human following in the wake of a large metal man, had all kinds of bottles and fancy sticks on his belt and vest. When the man jostled, and one of the sticks fell to the ground, Elyse was quick to claim her suvineer of the day. This stick was nearly the length of her short arm, made of ivory and gold, and other things she had never seen before, it was wonderful. Keeping it hidden, she played with it only when alone, more often than not swinging it around like a club or a sword. That is, until one day, while she was alone in the woods, jabbing at the air with her toy, it shot out some sort magic that blackened a nearby stone. She dropped it with a hiss, and darted behind a tree, watching it. But, the stick simply laid there on the grass, like nothing had happened. From that day, she became obsessed with trying to make the stick work again. Where her friends found joy and focus in hunting a simple rabbit, she found her purpose in hunting how to work her stick, to coax every secret from it. Her prey wasn't a living thing like the prey of other Shifters, hers was the prey of accomplishment, of creation, of the Artificer. That was many, many years ago. Her childhood wand has long since been drained of any magic it might have once held, but she carries it still, safely tucked away in her pouch, a momento, an embodiment of the moment her desire for knowledge had been sparked. One day, she'll learn how to make it work again, to restore it's lost power, maybe even improve upon it. But that day is not today, and it may not be tomorrow either. But unlike others of her kind, just like when she was little, she knows how to wait, for the right moment to strike at her prey, when she knows she will be guarenteed of success...Should be something useful there for ya.
Neofish 10-11-04, 09:07 PM	Jo-jo male half-Orc Ftr3/Brn1 Jo-jo is from Lhazzar and loves a good challenge, thats why he became a whaler. feats. (Brn) 1st lvl. Dodge (Ftr) 2nd lvl. Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Harpoon) (Ftr) 3rd lvl. Mobility (Ftr) 4th lvl. Spring attack. Jo-jo is very strong and fast, but not very tough. His tactics are simple, stay fast and far. Once he sinks 2 or 3 harpoons into an enemy, he'll unsheath his cutlass for the killing blow. (the stats for Harpoons can be found in the Frostburn sourcebook.) Jo-jo can usally run circles around an enemy, if he has an oppertunity to, he will tie off the trail rope to further inhibit his enemy from getting to him. Jo-jo is a very light-hearted guy, he enjoys a good story over a tankard of ale, and holds no grudges towards any of the competitors. Play him as a very lean and muscled half-Orc who is very easy to get along with, he is used to a life with men a can sometimes be rude to women, but he doesn't do it intentionally. He is almost always bare back, save for his bandoleer holding his harpoons, and only wears his chain shirt during the compotetion. Jo-jo has black hair, he's balding, so only his beard (braided) and side burns remain. His eyes are light grey. He weres a Red bandana on his head. black leather pants and knee high boots. His chest bares a horrible scar from a rigging accident a few years back.
Kinger 10-11-04, 09:18 PM	Whoops, I just realized the dwarf I made has 1 too many feats at 1st level. Oh well.
lordconservative 10-11-04, 10:18 PM	Vorrash, Githzerai Psychic Warrior 1st:Weapon Finesse 2nd:T.W. Fighting 3rd:T.W. Defense 4th:Quickdraw Str:10 Dex:24 Con:14 Int:13 Wis:16 Cha:8 Skills: Autohypnosis, Tumble, Jump, Climb, Concentration This wandering, extremely agile warrior from Sarlona wields two masterwork Crysteel Kukris, wears padded armor and a black cloak, and carries 5 throwing knives. He has a small forked beard and a piercing gaze; he always looks calm. He usually speaks only when spoken to, and his abrupt answers cause him to come off as rude to many people. His strong Old Common accent and elevated speech make him seem even more foreign. If you don't have the Expanded Psionics Handbook, then just make him a ranger.
Dahrik 10-12-04, 02:39 AM	Some good stuff here. Thanks all! I'm especially loving the showy gnome and the half-orc whaler. They're just way too fun and interesting to describe that I simply must use them. :) Please feel free to put more characters if anyone has a fun idea, the more the merrier! EDIT: Just as a side-note, to demonstrate how off-the-wall I don't mind characters being... here are a few of the PCs. MacroMan Randall Savage - After accidentally killing his half-brother, Andre the Half-Giant, the tear-soaked brute went to Sharn to fulfill Andre's dream of becoming a Wrestling Champion. He has since become something of a local celebrity (He's focused on grappling, and yeah it's goofy, but the guy was having so much fun writing all of the backstory and voicing the character that I said "Why not? It's more important that the PCs have fun.") Dolomite - Created from pieces of the Aegis Praetorians who heroically sacrificed themselves defending Sterngate against Darguun invaders during the Last War, Dolomite is a living monument to those warforged. He is seen almost as a "good luck charm" to the warforged that fought alongside him. Bullwyf the Child (pronounced Bull-Vi) - A simpleton half-giant from Xen'drik (Int 5). An illithid discovered that he had some curious resistance to mind-influencing effects and he would be an apt disciple (read: pawn) to use as a means to strike at the other illithids. While the simpleton saw his "Uncle" as some sort of parental figure, the illithid saw him only as a tool to fulfill his plans. Bullwyf was led to believe that he killed his "uncle" by accident.
Splendide 10-12-04, 08:17 AM	Edward Bentonbury aka Eddie the Squid - Human Ranger 6 1st level: Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus: Unarmed Strike 3rd level: Close-Quarters Fighting (from Sword and Fist) 6th level: Heroic Spirit (from Eberron Campaign Setting) Ranger class levels give him Endurance, Two Weapon Fighting and Improved Two Weapon Fighting Eddie is a sailor that lost a bet, and as such has been made to enter this tournament by his crew, who give him vocal and feral support from the back of the crowd. He's a skilled bare-knuckle boxer, and earned his nickname for having once escaped the clutches of a giant squid that attacked the ship. He's going to try and get as far as he can in the tournament, but he's been offered a deal by the first mate to play dead in the fourth round if he gets that far, in return for a cut of the profits from the bet placed on his opponent. He's undecided as to whether or not to follow this through, but its certainly not out of the question for him. His style is pretty ruthless; he won't muck about much...he'll get in as close as he can and keep pummeling until either he or his opponent hits the ground. If there's an opportunity to use obstacles to his advantage, he'll do so as he has superb balance.
Zagumus 10-12-04, 10:24 AM	Alon Gorlen Human Commoner Level 3 Feats and Skills Toughness Weapon Focus: Long Sword Alon is down on his luck and needs money fast and this is the only thing that he can think of, it's a long shot, but so id not paying mob on time. If Alon can he will explain his situation and ask the other fighter to yield to him, he will probably cry. "The Sword" Half Gaint Fighter Level 4 1 Full Blade, Monkey Grip 2 Weapon Focus 3 Power Attack 4 Weapon Specialization Big Guy, Huge sword (4d8 damage) High Str and Con but really low dex and does not wear armor.
hieratical 10-12-04, 11:52 AM	Arthur Bellington Human Rogue 7 Str:8 Dex:10 Con:10 Int:13 Wis:13 Cha:16 Hit Points: 24 AC 12, Touch 10, Flat 12 (+2 Armor) Init +4 BAB +5 Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip Bluff +13 Sense Motive +11 Intimidate +15 Escape Artist +10 Balance +12 Tumble +12 Jump+11 +5 Melee, Masterwork Rapier, 1d6-1, 18-20/x2 Leather Armor +4d6 Sneak Attack At Sixty years old, Arthur is probably the oldest contestant. He is the fencing instructor at the Bellington academy and entered the tounament to recruit students and make a name for his school. He analyzes the moves of the other fighters, and will change tactics depending on what he sees them do in other fights. He will attempt to: Feint in combat each round with his Improved Feint feat (for Sneak Attack), Demoralize his opponent with Intimidate, Jump onto unstable surfaces and get his opponent to follow him (Causing a balance check and making them lose their Dex to AC if they don't have 5 ranks of Balance)(for Sneak Attack), Fight full defense with full Combat Expertise for -9 to hit and +8 to AC, Disarm where posible, Feint, then Trip then Disarm, and Mug to the crowd while making comments about the PC's lack of training.
Neofish 10-12-04, 12:09 PM	Foehammer male personality Warforged, Ftr 4 The polished has worn off this metal giant, he still bears the mark of his country, forever in the service of Cyre.... Feats. (Ftr) lvl1: Power Attack, Adamantine Body. (Ftr) lvl2: Improved Toughness. (Ftr) lvl3: Monkey Grip (Ftr) lvl4: Improved Sunder Foehammer's weapon of choice is a massive (large) maul (from Complete Warrior, large version deals 2d8.) His tactics are simple, smash my enemies weapon, then smash my enemy. In combat his quite ruthlessness is very unsetteling. Foehammer has a very high Con, and thanks to his Improved toughness feat, he should be able to soak up alot of damage. Foehammer's loyalty is unquestioned, he always refers to himself as "this unit" in a monotonus voice, the truth behind the big, tough Warforged is that he is afraid of being free, now that there is no war he doesn't know what to do, or how to act, so he jumps at the chance to prove his use by entering into the compotention. hes 7'2" and weights 390lbs. Glad you liked Jo-jo.
Caul 10-12-04, 01:07 PM	Tharol Shadaer Male Valenar elf, Fighter 2/Ranger 2 ...you stand before a legend, and yet even in that you will not find fame... Feats: [1st] Improved Initiative [Ftr lvl1] Weapon Focus (double scimitar) [Rgr bonus] Two Weapon Fighting [3rd] Combat Expertise [Ftr lvl2] Double Weapon Defense (as Two Weapon Defense but with double weapons) Favored Enemy: Humanoid (goblinoid) Obviously, Tharol wields the ancestral weapon of the Valenar, the double scimitar. Though young, he has left his tribe in search of adventure and great deeds to emulate his wandering ancestor. He prides himself in his fighting ability, and has a fair sense of sport, though he will take any opening given. He should have a high Dex, moderate Str and Con, and better Wis than Int and Cha. None should ever be allowed to see his face, which is constantly hidden by his spirit veil. He would wear light, or at most medium armor, and possibly have several jambiya (daggers) for thrown weapons. He is not a rushed fighter, moving in, striking, and then backing away, taking his time and alternating between defensive actions and full on attack.
Neofish 10-12-04, 07:34 PM	"Quicksilver" Gustav. male human Ftr4/Rog2 This young scald prides himself as the fastest blade in all the five nations. feats. (Ftr1) lvl1: Quick Draw, Improved Feint, Skill Focus (Bluff). (Rog1)lvl2: - (Ftr2) lvl3: Two-Weapon fighting, Flick of the Wrist. (Ftr3) lvl4: (Rog2)lvl5: (Ftr4) lvl6: Cloak Dance (I lowered requiremant to only 9 ranks in hide), Two- Weapon Defense. Gustav was given the name "Quicksilver" because of the six-silver short-swords he weilds. Gustav has a above average Str and Dex and a Very high Cha. Many young lassies will be cheering for Gustav at the Competition. Gustav tactics: feint, attack. attack on defensive with a move-action activating his cloak dance feat. the first attack after the first round should be a flick of the wrist, if he went first that would mean he should pull off to sneak attacks in a row. after that, he will draw a second sword and begins his sword barrage.(Gustav uses feats from the Complete Warrior and Psionics handbook, Expanded.) Gustav wears a tight fitting black chain-shirt over wraped silk straps, silk straps also hold his six-silver short-swords to his sides, he wears lose/baggie black pants and leather, ankle high shoes. He wears a black duster type cloak to conceal his weapons. He has Light grey hair (another reason for the name Quicksilver.) and has green eyes, and a pearly white smile. hes 5'11" and weighs 196lbs.
Dahrik 10-14-04, 01:26 PM	Thanks for all the help! It was greatly appreciated. Tournament went off without a hitch and (I didn't really expect this, but it just worked out this way) Foehammer looks like he's going to be a recurring NPC.
Splendide 10-14-04, 06:38 PM	How did the gnome go?
Dahrik 10-15-04, 12:19 AM	How did the gnome go? I was saddened to have cut the gnome out of the tournament during the game, as the session was going much longer than I initially expected and I set it up for him to be in a later match. The Tournament worked out quite well, and also served as a set up for the Warforged PC, Dolomite (he wanted to eventually become a Pious Templar in service of Dol Dorn). I did have Eddie the Squid face off against the party Grappler (MacroMan), and that Close-Quarters Fighting made a huge difference. If it wasn't for the fact that I had Eddie pull his punches near the end (he decided that he would go ahead and cash in on the bet), he probably would have won the match. Each time the PC would try to grab hold of him, Eddie would jack him in the jaw with an uppercut or dodge and throw one in the back of the head. Eddie was rather impressive in the match. Oddly enough, that particular PC won the entire Tournament, so Eddie will always know that he is better than the champion. Depending on where the PCs show up or do, he might make an appearance too. It was quite nice to have stories behind the NPCs, so I'd have an idea of where they were coming from during PC interactions outside of the tournament. I used the basis of Foehammer's background and took him in another direction, but in case one of the PCs accidentally finds this thread, I probably shouldn't elaborate. ;) Again, thanks all! It was a big help.
Splendide 10-15-04, 12:44 AM	Ha, I thought Eddie would be a bit tricky! :D Thanks for the feedback and summary! Its always great to hear about ideas being used.
Neofish 10-15-04, 01:24 AM	Sweet..!!!! Foehammer made it into your campaign, I'm honored.... And what of Jo-jo..??? Please spare no detail.....
Dahrik 10-15-04, 02:14 AM	Sweet..!!!! Foehammer made it into your campaign, I'm honored.... And what of Jo-jo..??? Please spare no detail..... Jo-Jo was actually in the very first fight, and unintentionally, he happened to be faced up against our female PC (Fighter/Wizard, granddaughter of Kwanti d'Orien). She, of course, cast no spells in the match and instead wore armor she wouldn't typically wear (due to Arcane Spell Failure and such). What basically happened is that he vastly underestimated her, passing her off as one of the "early hopefuls" that would be weeded out rather quickly. She used the terrain well, taking cover when he was trying to get her from a distance with harpoons. Eventually the distance was closed, and he realized that she was much more than meets the eye. She hit often, and she hit hard (2-handed weapons can be nasty with a good strength). He even tried using the terrain himself, attempting to knock her off an edge and harpoon her from on high. However, she rather easily made short work of him. Hey, how was he supposed to know that she fought in the Last War with the Aundair forces, until it was discovered that she was actually the daughter of Kwanti d'Orien's son? :D Foehammer actually downed the party Half-Giant simpleton who wielded the Huge Greataxe. This caused the PC to say afterwards, "Gee, he hits like big beast. Now I know what others feel like when I hit 'dem. I feel sorrys for them. I'm really mean." The HP gap between the two wasn't even close. I wasn't actually expecting Foehammer to make it to the next round, but he ended up facing the party Warforged, Dolomite. It was very close. The PC hit more often, but Foehammer hit harder. Not many fancy tricks here, it was a straight on Adamantine Warforged versus Adamantine Warforged slamfest. Dolomite was brought to about 7 HP, and Foehammer to 1. At this point, Foehammer knelt down and held up his maul, saying that he forfeited the match, as Dolmite was the victor. During the thunderous cheers, especially from the Warforged, Foehammer said he was impressed of Dolmite's skills, and that he knows of his reputation. They will meet again. Throughout the entire Tournament, the PC was always yelling comments about Warforged pride, the Aegis Praetorians, etc. Given Dolomite's past, it was actually during the fight that I decided to expand Foehammer's role, and say that though he did in fact believe he lost his purpose after his newfound freedom, he has found a new purpose to fight for. I'm just going to say that I believe I can work in the Mournlands now. ;) The Warforged and the Grappler (both PCs) actually ended up being the very last fight of the tournament. It actually ended up being rather close, where whoever got that very last hit (or grapple) would win the match. It got rather vicious as the Warforged weapon and shield were disregarded, as grappling tends to make its use rather difficult. Dolomite resorted to bashing the MacroMan with his slam attack repeatedly while he was stuck in the grapple. One PC still having an action point left when the other already used up all of his actually makes quite a difference.
Neofish 10-15-04, 03:52 PM	Excellent.!!! and most befitting, I am glad that my NPC's could play such a good role in your Tournament....