D&D Next characters: Satyros, Ranger level 1

Tiefling Ranger. I like that idea.

They had that whole conflicted by their nature thing going for them, and I used a metric fuck-ton of them for my Valendia I campaign. I made a set of boss-level NPCs that each represented one of the seven deadly sins. The plan was to have them all be recurring villains all the way up until epic level, but that idea didn't pan out. I had to end the campaign early, and so I created a very abridged sort of ending for it. I used them as a series of boss encounters leading up to the final boss instead.

Not truly as epic as it could have been, but it still ended up pretty fun.

I think I might be making too many characters with the Outlander background, though. I'm having a hard time coming up with a Bond for this character, though. I really think he's having trouble finding something to latch on to, hence the wandering.

Satyros
Tiefling Ranger 1
TN
Speed 30 ft.
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HP 11
AC 13 (+1 Armor, +2 Dex)
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
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Attack:
Longbow +4 ranged 1d8+2
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Abilities:
Str 13, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 14, Cha 12
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Class Features: Favored Enemy (Elves and Orcs), Natural Explorer (Underdark)
Racial Features: Darkvision, Resistance to fire, Infernal Legacy (Thaumaturgy cantrip)
Skills: Stealth, Survival, Perception, Athletics, Nature
Feats:
Languages: Common, Infernal, Elven
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Proficiency Bonus: +2
Proficiencies:
Armor: Light, Medium, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
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Equipment:
Leather Armor, 2 Shortswords, Explorer's Pack, Longbow, 20 Arrows, belt pouch, 10 GP, hunting trap, quarterstaff, set of traveler's clothes
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Background: Outlander - exile/outcast
Wanderer - Recalls maps and geography, can find food and fresh water for self and five other people
Ideal: People think they're bigger than nature, when they're really just a part of it.
Bond: Maybe eventually.
Flaw: Sees no reason to save people who can't save themselves.

Satyros is a nimble humanoid with shaggy, unkempt brown hair and small curved horns protruding from his forehead. His eyes are solid purple. He wears a dark gray coat over his black leather armor, and a quiver at his back. He smiles easily and often, revealing sharp, pointed teeth, and he walks with a casual, sauntering grace. He is 28 years old.

People often react to Satyros' fiendish heritage with horror, fear, or violence, but short of actual attacks on his person, Satyros behaves in a friendly and amiable manner. He often talks to himself out loud, narrating his actions and addressing questions to himself. "What do you think, Satyros? I think it's time for Satyros to see how many Orcs he can kill with one arrow, Satyros." 

Such a mechanism developed as a response to his seclusion in the Underdark, where he spent much of his early life. His mother, after giving birth to him, fled her community to escape persecution, and found an unlikely home in the caverns there. However, the hazards of the Underdark finally claimed her when Satyros was a child. He finally fled the Underdark after too many close calls. He has since had several mostly unsuccessful encounters with societies.

Satyros is unimpressed with what some call "civilization". As a result of his time spent in the wild, he sees most human behavior as just an extension of that. He sees predators and prey, something fundamentally amoral.

"I think everyone just does what they want and then invents a justification for it afterward, and then they call that morality or the commandments of God or something."

Satyros has an explorer's heart. He is driven by wanderlust - he wishes to see new lands, perhaps eventually settle down in a nice secluded spot. Perhaps deep down, his desire for seclusion is really a desire to find a place he won't be persecuted. Hard chance of getting him to admit that however.

D&D Next characters: Captain Baelor Tamarand, Paladin 1

Okay, I made a Dragonborn.

I don't really like this race, I admit. I'm racist against Dragonborn. It just seems their coolness is dependent on the coolness of the dragons they're descended from. They don't have any independent coolness of their own. Only derivative coolness. And if they're descended from dragons...why exactly do they only live like 80 years? I dunno. I know they satisfy a desire for some players to play some kind of Trogdor-esque dragon man, and I can't blame them for that.

But Paladin, on the other hand, is a class that's very close to my heart. I knew I wanted to play it when I first read the description in the 3.5 handbook. And I played that Paladin all the way to epic level in a long campaign. I still use his name, Arturos Knightblade, as a screen name sometimes.

My most infamous NPC in any campaign that I've run was also a Paladin. Her name was Valkyrie, and she was a servant of the Goddess of Purity and Light. She was the leader of a special elite cavalry squad, the Thunder Hooves, that used the special Paladin mounts from 3.5. She was also every stereotype players associate with Paladins - uptight, vindictive, dogmatic. But also extremely memorable.

So, in creating this character, I combined a class I love with a player race I hate, and made something...pretty cool? I have to admit, in the process of making this character, I grew to like him. I wouldn't mind playing him in a campaign. And then I'd actually take an Oath of Vengeance for him, because that fits the concept really well.

This is definitely a stronger Paladin than 3.5's rather weak class. Lots of the class features have been changed around. You can choose to use your smite AFTER you determine that you hit - a big change, and an improvement in quality of life for Paladins everywhere. It's also not alignment-dependent - you can smite anyone! Most of the Paladin's abilities aren't, in fact. Detect Evil is intact in concept, but now it only detects what you could call "inherently evil" creatures - undead, devils and demons, areas enchanted with a desecrate spell.

They've also struck more of a balance between 3.5's "Paladins are always Lawful Good" approach, and 4th Edition's "Paladins can be any alignment" approach. In this, the code of conduct is not alignment based, but oath-based. You can be an evil Paladin who takes an oath more consistent with a good alignment. This lets you add more of a struggle to it, if you prefer. Unpublished as of yet are the rules for Paladins who break their oath. I won't know what happens to them until December, I guess.

Hope no one violates their oath in the meantime.

So, here's my first 5th edition Paladin, probably more like Valkyrie than Arturos.

Captain Baelor Tamarand
Dragonborn Paladin 1
LG
Speed 30 ft.
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HP 11
AC 18 (+6 Armor, +2 Shield)
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
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Attack:
Longsword +5 melee 1d8+3
Javelin +5 ranged 1d6+3
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Abilities:
Str 16, Dex 8, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 16
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Class Features: Divine Sense (4 times), Lay on Hands (5 points)
Racial Features: Draconic Ancestry (Gold) - Breath weapon (15 ft. Cone of Fire, 2d6, DC 11 Dexterity), resistance to fire,
Skills: Religion, Intimidation, Athletics, Persuasion
Feats:
Languages: Common, Draconic
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Proficiency Bonus: +2
Proficiencies:
Armor: All Armor, Shields
Weapons: Simple and Martial
Tools: Vehicles (land), Chess Board
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Equipment:
Longsword, Shield, Five Javelins, Priest's Pack, Chainmail, Holy Symbol of Bahamut, deck of cards, Medal of Valor, Belt Pouch, 10 GP
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Background: Soldier
Role: Infantry
Can pull rank on soldiers of lower rank; can get aid from friendly military bases and outposts
Ideal: I will lay down my life to destroy evil in the world.
Bond: I won't rest until the forces of Tiamat are destroyed.
Flaw: Has a deep and blinding hatred for his enemies; no compassion, no mercy.

Captain Baelor Tamarand is a powerfully built Dragonborn dressed in heavy chainmail armor with a golden tabard emblazoned with the symbol of Bahamut. His Gold Dragon ancestry is very strongly expressed in his line. As a result, Baelor is covered in gleaming, golden scales and has short tentacle-like whiskers that give him the appearance of a beard. His face is framed by backward pointing horns. He also carries a number of prominent battle scars. In combat, he wields a gleaming longsword and a steel shield. He is 30 years old.

Captain Baelor has a brisk and direct manner, preferring to face problems head on. He is accustomed to command, and when he says jump, even people he has no authority over find themselves jumping. Many people find him a little severe and over-bearing. Nonetheless, his natural leadership qualities draw many allies. Baelor has a strong moral compass, and is not afraid to say so. However, when it comes to the followers of Tiamat, he has a moral blind spot - there are no lines he won't cross to cause them damage.

Baelor always felt in his soul he was destined to fight evil. When he came of age, he dedicated himself to the cause of Bahamut and decided to serve him by joining his clan's military. As a young idealistic Paladin, he was oriented towards defense. Simply being strong and disciplined, both on a personal and societal level, would deter the designs of evil. However, this changed when he and his military unit was captured by followers of Tiamat. He was tortured for days as he watched each of his men being sacrificed to their monstrous god.

He was finally rescued, and put every single last one of the cultists to death. His ideas of self-defense and deterrence were abandoned. He vowed instead to cleanse the world of this kind of evil at any cost.

D&D Next characters: Arminas Kulenov, Monk level 1

Monks have always been the class of many attacks, and that's no different here. At first level, they get two attacks as long as they're attacking with an unarmed stirke or a monk weapon. At 2nd level, you get your first taste of the Monk's ki pool. You only have two points at first, but spending one of them gets you 2 bonus attacks when you use your normal attack action.

The specialization options are really interesting. The Monk either becomes a more of a Ninja, a focused bare hand fighter, or more of a DBZ-style character, with magical breath attacks. I can't wait to play around with higher level monks.

In 3.5, Monks were also the most demanding of the classes. To be good, you really needed a good Wis, Dex, Str, and Con. That's a little less true now, since Dex can be added to your damage rolls as well as attack rolls here. In my Monk below, I went ahead and assigned the highest score to Wis, but I'm not actually sure that's the best way to do it yet. Dex may well end up more important.

Anyway, here's my Lawful Evil Monk, Arminas. This guy is an archetype I've used before - kind of an enforcer for a Lawful Evil church. I can't remember the name of the guy who actually fought the party on 3 or 4 occasions, so I just remade him in spirit instead. No idea why he has a vaguely Russian last name.

At some point on this blog, I'll have to address what makes an evil character work in a play-group, because it's an interesting dynamic.

Arminas Kulenov
Human Monk 1
LE
Speed 30 ft.
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HP 10
AC 15 (+2 Dex, +3 Wis)
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
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Attack:
Unarmed +4 melee 1d4+2
Shortsword +4 melee 1d6+2
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Abilities:
Str 12, Dex 14 Con 14 Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8
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Class Features:
Unarmored Defense, Martial Arts (1d4 damage die on monk weapons and unarmed strikes, can use Dex on attack and damage rolls with Monk weapons, can make an attack as a bonus action when you use Attack action with a monk weapon or unarmed strike)
Skills: Investigation, Stealth, Insight, Religion, Athletics
Feats: Sentinel
Languages: Common, Elven,
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Proficiency Bonus: +2
Proficiencies:
Armor: None.
Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords
Tools: Alchemist's supplies
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Equipment:
Shortsword, dungeoneer's pack, 10 darts, belt pouch, 15 GP, prayer book, holy symbol of Tiernach, common clothes, 5 sticks of incense
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Background: Acolyte
Quotes the words of Tiernach at every opportunity.
Ideal: You prove yourself worthy by proving your power, showing your dominance.
Bond: I am a servant of my church.
Flaw: Judges everyone harshly, himself more so.

Arminas is a thin, wiry man with a shaved head and a neatly trimmed black goatee. He dresses in dark gray loose-fitting clothing, and wears a curved short sword in a sheathe at his back. His movements are deliberate and graceful. His reflexes often catch opponents off-guard.

Arminas follows the dictates of Tiernach, a strict code of conduct encouraging honor and ruthlessness in equal measure. The demands are hard, but Arminas prides himself on following them as closely as possible. He seeks to advance himself in power and influence through adherence to the word of Tiernach. He has proven himself a reliable problem solver for the high priests of his church.

Arminas is civil to those he sees as equals, but exerts his authority over anyone weaker than him, in some cases daring them to challenge them. He is respectful, however, to legitimate authority. He is also intensely loyal, and keeps his word when he gives it. However, he is a cold-blooded killer, and feels no remorse for the lives he's taken in the course of his duty.

D&D Next characters: Thunt, Fighter level 1

Okay, this might be a sign I'm running out of ideas. I've started to recreate characters from previous campaigns. I'm a little sad I haven't gotten to use him as much, though.

Thunt is a character I made for my first long campaign, known now as Valendia I. He was a shopkeeper at Thunt's Arms and Armor, in a large city that had been occupied by enemy forces. He was part of a coalition of all the craft guilds, mercenary guilds, mage guilds, and of course the player characters themselves, to liberate the city.

When entering his shop, the players would always be met with the rhythmic hammering from the back of the shop. However, Thunt was also a ferocious Fighter, and did his part to fight back the occupying forces.

This is a version of Thunt early in his career, and what he would look like if he was a player character. He's been given a more ambitious purpose than spending his days making Masterwork weapons, one that builds up the world he inhabits.

The name "Thunt" actually comes from the screen name of Tarol Hunt, the webcomic artist behind Goblins. I thought it sounded like an Orcish name.

Thunt
Half-Orc Fighter 1
Neutral Good
Speed 30 ft.
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HP 12
AC 16 (+6 Armor)
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
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Attack:
Greatsword +5 melee 2d6+3
Light Crossbow +3 ranged 1d8+1
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Abilities:
Str 17, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8
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Class Features: Fighting Style - Great Weapon Fighting, Second Wind (Regain 1d10+2 HP)
Racial Features: Darkvision, Relentless Endurance (can drop to 1 instead of 0), Savage Attacks (extra dice of damage on critical),
Skills: Intimidation, Athletics, Survival, Insight, Persuasion
Feats:
Languages: Common, Orc
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Proficiency Bonus: +2
Proficiencies:
Armor: All, Shields
Weapons: Simple, Martial
Tools: Smith's tools
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Equipment:
Chainmail, Dungeoneer's pack, Light Crossbow, 20 Bolts, Greatsword, Longsword, Smith's tools, 15 GP, Guild letter of introduction,
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Background: Guild Artisan (Smith/metalworking)
Feature: Guild Member
Members of the Smithing guild will provide food and water, amongst other needs if necessary.
Likes to talk about his craft; wants to become well-known for his work.
Ideal: You have to use the skills you're given to do good in the world. I swing swords and work a forge.
Bond: I owe my guild a debt for making me who I am.
Flaw: Can be very suspicious that people are trying to rip him off.

Thunt is an imposing Half-Orc with gray skin, coarse black hair with black sideburns, and a single chipped fang jutting from his lower jaw. He is close to 7 feet tall and has thick arms, even for a Half-Orc, muscles formed from working the forge for long hours. He wears a huge sword on his back, with a finely honed edge. He also wears heavy armor. All of his equipment is carefully maintained.

Thunt is very quiet and reserved, preferring to speak through his actions. He has encountered enough shifty merchants to be suspicious of those who talked too much. However, he has a strong sense of right and wrong, and will speak up when he feels his principles are being violated. Thunt has a great admiration for the work of skilled craftsman, and constantly seeks to improve his own already impeccable work.

Thunt spent his early childhood among a tribe of Orcs, and, with no other guidance, had adopted their ferocious nature. When he was around 6 years old, a militia was sent to their stronghold in order to eliminate the threat the Orcs posed to the nearby villages. The Orcs were wiped out: men, women, and children. However, the man leading the expedition halted at the half-breed, and adopted him as his own. He introduced him to the forge, and Thunt gained an outlet for his violent nature, as well as a source of pride and discipline.

He then grew up and joined the craftsman's guild, where he has been a constant contributor. He now seeks to travel the world and learn more about his craft. He is especially interested in the work that can be done from so-called "magic forges" - where the magical properties of the forge combine with the skill of the craftsman to create powerful weapons.

D&D Next characters: Ilyana Tathmiel, Druid level 1

This is my first stab at a 5th edition druid. I think I'm doing this right, at least.

Anyway, I'm trying to change up races and alignments a little bit. This character is partially inspired by Morrigan from Dragon Age: Origins. I've always wanted to make a campaign with an evil druid as the bad guy. It's hard to tell if that'd be a better one-off villain, or a more long-term thing.

If Ilyana were a Player Character, on the other hand, I think she'd be a little more interesting. She'd start out evil and reason about everything with her survival of the fittest mentality, and then her experiences could be reinforced or challenged by her adventure.

I also mentioned in her background that she knows some kind of secret. I haven't actually figured out exactly what that is yet, but I know it probably has something to do with why her mother was exiled from her village. Perhaps some kind of forbidden druidic magic. Either way, she's a character who has been shaped by the influence of her mother, and she can either embrace it, or outgrow it.

Ilyana Tathmiel
Wood Elf Druid 1
NE
Speed 35 ft.
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HP 10
AC 15 (+2 Dex, +1 Armor, +2 Shield)
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
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Attack:
Scimitar +4 melee, 1d6+2
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Abilities:
Str 12, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8
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Class Features:
Druidic
Spellcasting
Racial Features:
Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, Trance, Mask of the Wild (can hide in wilderness even when only lightly obscured),
Skills: Perception, Survival, Nature, Medicine, Religion
Feats:
Languages: Common, Elvish
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Proficiency Bonus: +2
Proficiencies:
Elf Weapon Training
Armor: Light, Medium, Shields
Weapons: Clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars, sickles, slings, spears
Tools: Herbalism Kit
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Equipment: Wooden Shield, Scimitar, Quarterstaff,  Leather Armor, explorer's pack, druidic focus (Yew staff), herbalism kit, winter blanket, Scroll case, 5 GP
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Spells Per Day: 2
Cantrips Known: Druidcraft, Produce Flame
Spells Prepared:
1: Entangle, Cure Wounds, Longstrider, Thunderwave
Spell Save DC: 13
Spell Attack: +5

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Background: Hermit

She knows some kind of secret that would be very damaging to the people who exiled her family.

Life of Seclusion:

"My mother was exiled for a crime she didn't commit."

Is oblivious to etiquette and social expectations

Ideal: "I will use my exile to grow powerful, and make my enemies beg for mercy."

Bond: "They're hunting me. But soon they'll become my prey."

Flaw: Opportunistic and bloodthirsty.

Ilyana is a tall, graceful elven woman with copper skin and dusk brown hair. She wears camouflage make-up on her face and bare arms, usually leaf-colored stripes. A number of mismatched furs adorn her worn leather armor. While she is alone, her expression is generally serene. However, she wears a perpetual scowl when interacting with other humanoids. She is 240 years old.

As a result of living in the wilderness, Ilyana completely lacks people skills. She mistrusts people, and doesn't much like them. She especially doesn't want them in her personal space, and she dreads the idea of someone touching her. Instead, she views people as a kind of prey. She searches for weaknesses that she can exploit. She has lured many travelers passing through her grove to an untimely death.

Ilyana's mother was exiled from her elven village for reasons she never quite made clear to her daughter. She stubbornly insisted on her innocence, however, and instilled Ilyana with her resultant distrust from a young age. Though Ilyana vaguely remembers a childhood spent laughing and playing with other elven children, her life became focused on survival. Her mother taught her to hunt, and taught her how only the strong survive in nature. While her mother maintained that she was innocent, she also challenged the laws that exiled her in the first place, and expounded at length on the evils of society, including the notion of morality itself.

Her mother was always planning her vengeance, and she frequently said Ilyana would be instrumental in bringing her plans to fruition. But her mother eventually left her to her own devices, returning only sporadically.  Ilyana has not seen in her mother in over a century. Nonetheless, she has taken her mother's lessons to heart.

D&D Next characters: Gardain Torrhen, Cleric level 1

I like the way they've handled the spellcasters that need to prepare their spells in this edition. Really, I like the way the spells were handled in general. I like that the lower level spells can be prepared at higher slots. I like that some spells gain a power boost at set levels (an apparent remnant of 4th edition).

So yeah, the way it works now is you prepare a list of spells equal to your ability modifier plus your level, and then you can cast any of them using the spell slots you have. It's a bit like being a 3.5 Sorcerer who gets to decide what his spell list is every day.

So I enjoyed making my first D&D Next Dwarf as well as my first D&D Next Cleric. Meet Gardain.

Gardain Torrhen
Dwarf Cleric of Soran 1
LN
Speed 25 ft.
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HP 12
AC 18 (+6 Armor, +2 Shield)
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
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Attack:
Battleaxe +3 melee 1d8+1
Crossbow +1 ranged 1d8-1
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Abilities:
Str13, Con 16, Dex 8, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 12
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Class Features: Spellcasting, Divine Domain - War, War Priest (Extra attack as bonus action 3 times)
Racial Features: Darkvision, Dwarven Resilience (advantage on saves against poison, resistance to poison damage), Stonecunning (double proficiency bonus on history checks involving stonework), Dwarven Toughness (1 HP every level)
Skills: Religion, Persuasion, Insight, History
Feats:
Languages: Common, Dwarvish, Orc, Gnomish
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Proficiency Bonus: +2
Proficiencies:
Tools:
Dwarven Combat Training
Simple Weapons
Martial Weapons
Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, Shields
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Equipment:
Battleaxe, Chainmail, Light Crossbow, 20 Bolts, Shield, Holy Symbol of Soran, Priest's Pack, belt pouch, prayer book, 5 sticks of incense, 15 GP
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Spells Per Day: 2
Spell DC: 13
Spell Attack: +5
Cantrips Known: Sacred Flame, Spare the Dying, Guidance
Spells Prepared:
1: Divine Favor, Shield of Faith, Command, Cure Wounds, Detect Magic, Bless

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Background: Acolyte

Can receive aid from temples that share his faith

Idolizes the great Dwarven warrior and hero of the faith, Normandy

Ideal: Tradition. "The dwarves have always lived this way; the old ways protect us and keep us strong."

Bond: "I would die to recover a lost relic of my faith - Soran's Hammer."

Flaws: Inflexible in thinking

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Gardain Torrhen is a stout dwarf of middling height with light brown skin, bushy eyesbrows, and a long, black beard, which he wears braided. His eyes are dark and intense, as if he's seeing through you. He dresses in heavy dwarven crafted chainmail, and carries a Battleaxe and a heavy shield emblazoned with the holy symbol of Soran, the Forger of Dwarves.  He is 75 years old.

Gardain is quiet and deliberate, and many consider him rather somber for a dwarf. However, he burns with religious fervor and is quick to defend his church, in word or deed. He values tradition and the virtues of his faith very highly, and is quick to judge those who act irresponsibly, violate tradition, or commit another kind of sin. He is highly critical of the ways in which dwarven society has drifted away from its foundations, either by adopting the habits and values of other societies or compromising their integrity for the sake of greed.

Gardain was raised from a very young age in the Church of Soran. His parents were smiths, and were very pious, but Gardain always felt a special draw to Soran. Eventually he became an initiate, and over a few decades finally became a priest. The aging High Priest was growing feeble, and so Gardain was given more and more responsibility, until he was High Priest in all but name.

One night, as Gardain was praying, he saw a vision of a great calamity taking place. The nature of it was incomprehensible, but the aftermath was unimaginable destruction. He then saw a golden hammer descend from the heavens - and he knew it was Soran's sacred hammer, Soulforger, the one he used to create the dwarves and the mountains and valleys. And he knew the hammer could drive back the tide of chaos.

Gardain saw this as a calling, and so he did the only impulsive thing he's done in his life - he strapped on his battleaxe and shield, grabbed his backpack, and left the temple without a word, his eyes blazing with purpose. He would find Soran's sacred hammer and prevent the calamity he saw in his vision.

He's on a mission from God.

D&D Next Characters: Keira Daley, Bard level 1

Wow, I sure love me some Bards. Even when I know they're bad, I just love the idea of using magic through music, writing songs and poetry about your adventures, inspiring your allies to press onward. My inner choir boy understands how good music can fill up your whole spirit, and make a +2 to your attack roll or your saving throw against fear make perfect sense. I might still be holding a grudge against 4th Edition for leaving Bards out of the first player's handbook.

So this Bard is updated, and does many of the things we want them to do and so much more. While they were only minor spellcaters in 3.5, their spell list has expanded dramatically here. They now get spellcasting all the way to 9th level spells, and their list includes iconic spells like Power Word Kill. I think Bards might actually be good now, you guys!

So here's my first level 1 Bard for D&D Next, Keira Daley, the Diva Bard with daddy issues.

Keira Daley
Half-Elf Bard 1
Chaotic Neutral
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HP 8
AC 13 (+1 Armor, +2 Dex)
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
____________________________________
Attack:
Rapier +4 melee 1d6+2
Spell Attack: +5
Spell DC: 13
____________________________________
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 17
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Class Features: Spellcasting, Bardic Inspiration (d6)
Racial Traits: Fey Ancestry (advantage on charm, immune to sleep spells), Skill Versatility (2 skills)
Skills: Acrobatics, Arcana, Deception, Persuasion, Performance, Perception, History
Languages: Common, Elven, Halfling
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Proficiency Bonus: +2
Proficiencies:
Armor: Light
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Hand Crossbow, longswords, shortswords, rapiers
Tools: Lute, Dulcimer, Flute, Disguise Kit
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Equipment: Rapier, dagger, Entertainer's Pack, Lute, Leather Armor, Flute, 15 GP, 3 fine dresses
____________________________________
Cantrips Known: True Strike, Message
Spells Known: Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Heroism, Healing Word, Sleep
Spells Per Day: 2

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Background: Entertainer

Can always find a crowd to entertain, and free food and lodging when you play

Instrumentalist, Singer

"I get bitter if I'm not the center of attention."

Ideal: Money and Fame

Bonds: "I will find my father and show him how much I've grown."

Flaw: "I'll do anything for fame and renown."

_____________________________________

Keira Daley is a petite woman with fair skin and long blonde ringlets, carefully maintained. Her pointed ears and large green eyes mark her as a half-elf to all who see her. She owns a set of Leather Armor for battles and travel, but more often elects to perform in one of her strikingly beautiful custom dresses, decorated in leaves and rose motifs as a nod to her elven heritage. She keeps a variety of colors on hand, along with matching accessories and make-up. She wears a rapier at her side and a lute strapped across her back.

Keira is 19.

Keira is very concerned with her appearance and image. Some accuse her of being vain, but she scoffs at people who do not care (or at least pretend not to care) about their appearance. She can be witty and charming, but has a tendency to blow up unexpectedly, especially when she feels she's been insulted. She is not prone to drawing weapons in such a rage, but she often says things that get her in trouble. She is very self-assured - she KNOWS she's the best, and nothing will stop her from getting the recognition she deserves. This makes her very competitive, especially when she meets other Bards.

Keira was the illegitimate child of a traveling Elf circus performer and a woman of nobility. The relationship soured somewhat after her birth, as her elven father had no intentions of settling down. Thus, she was raised in luxury in her mother's estate, with all of her needs and desires met. She was given lessons in instruments and voice from a young age. Still, the money wasn't enough. She saw her father only once a year, when the performers would return to town, but every time her father would teach her something different - the basics of swordplay, how to juggle, how to dance, and many other skills. The days she spent with him were few, but the most joyous in her life.

But one year, when Keira was 14, the circus did not appear at its usual time. Rumors gradually floated in that the circus had broken up, the performers scattered. Keira was heartbroken, and threw a truly epic tantrum directed at her helpless mother before running away to find her father - the one person who truly loves her, as far as she can see.

She's been traveling for five years now, perfecting her skills and searching for some sign of her father. She's developed a bit of a reputation in the Bard community for being a diva - but she doesn't mind.

D&D Next characters: Alaric of the Heruli, Barbarian level 1

I've decided to dive head first into understanding D&D Next by making one of every character class in the new Player's Handbook. I'm making it to the best of my understanding, so I won't be too surprised if I get things wrong. What is striking is how integrated your background is to your character's abilities - you may get a few skills just from your class, but the background you choose determines the other skills and proficiencies you pick up.

Thus, although it isn't completely necessary to flesh out a character as completely as I have with these, the broad strokes are already there, and just beg to be filled in. This system has gotten me excited about D&D again. I can't wait to test-play it.

So here's my Visigoth-inspired Lawful Good Barbarian, Alaric:

Alaric of the Heruli
Human Barbarian 1
Lawful Good
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HP 14
AC 16 (+2 Dex, +2 Con, +2 Shield)
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
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Attack:
Greataxe +5 melee 1d12+3
Spear +5 Melee 1d6+3
Javelin +5 Melee or Ranged (30/120), 1d6+3
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Abilities: Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
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Class Features: Rage (2/day, +2 damage, resistance to bludgeoning, slashing, piercing), Unarmored Defense (CON mod to AC when not wearing armor)
Skills: Survival, Intimidation, Athletics, Perception
Feats: Charger
Languages: Common, Dwarvish
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Proficiency Bonus: +2
Proficiencies:
Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Shields
Weapons: Simple, Martial
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Equipment: Greataxe, Spear, Explorer's Pack, 4 Javelins, Shield, hunter's trap, belt pouch, bear-tooth necklace, some kind of strange tooth, 10 GP

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Background: Outlander

Wanderer - Recalls maps and geography, can find food and fresh water for self and five other people

Bond: "I will do what is best for my tribe, and my family."

Ideal: "I will bring honor back to my tribe."

Flaw: Is willing to fight over perceived slights to his honor.

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Alaric of the Heruli is a tall, heavily muscled man with dark, deeply tanned brown skin and long black hair. He wears a hide vest, leather boots, and a black cloak made of various furs. He has a red eagle tattoo on his chest, a sacred symbol of his tribe. He speaks in short terse sentences in a low bass rumble, only engaging people he finds worthy in real conversation. He is a fierce and honorable warrior. He is 28 years old.

Alaric is fiercely loyal to his family, who are part of the ruling class of the Heruli tribe. This tribe survives by raiding villages, killing or driving off the inhabitants, and occupying the town until it is depleted of resources, and finally moving on. The tribe has grown prosperous, and has been able to take over larger and larger cities as time goes on.

As the youngest son of his tribe's chief, Alaric helped command the Heruli in many raids on villages. However, he started to become disillusioned with his tribe's practice. Despite his tribe's proud warrior tradition, there seemed to be no honor in attacking defenseless villages. He pushed these thoughts down, however, rather than dishonoring his family or proving himself a coward.

In one such raid, however, unexpected reinforcements showed up: mounted knights, sent to protect the villages from such rampaging hordes. Despite outnumbering them, the knights' hit and run tactics were more than Alaric's forces could handle, and his raiding party was routed. Alaric himself was taken prisoner. He was dragged alongside the countryside in chains for several months before finally seizing an opportunity to escape.

Now he seeks to find his tribe again...but first, he wishes to grow strong enough to change their ways and return them to the proud warrior tradition he came from.

Pathfinder: Evil campaign, session 2

More D&D happened a couple of weeks ago, and it looks like we're on target for session 3. The build-up to epic proportions begins, though they found out that they're not quite epic enough to just individually flout the laws of the land.

Our heroes remained at Castle Stormhome, which, while run down a bit, was still serviceable enough to count as shelter. They took cares to merciless torture the captured Paladin Tristan, employing both physical and psychological torture of various sorts. When he began a hunger strike, Darius, the Summoner, responded by equipping him with his Ring of Sustenance. 

They also claimed rooms in the large upstairs area of the Castle. During this time, Nissa's childhood friend and bodyguard, Grimjohn Rowe, showed up with a squad of devoted followers to serve Nissa. Some were warriors, but others were craftsmen and disaffected nobles. They set to work on repairing the castle and making it defensible. 

Eranah did finally arrive, alerting all of them to this fact through a telepathic announcement. They met her down in the cavern where she had first appeared, and she looked much healthier than her last encounter. Though she still retained the aspect of an beautiful angel, her clothes and armor were still soaked by blood, and she still seemed to cry an endless stream of bloody tears. Eranah stated that she had been quite busy in her absence, and discovered quite a bit of information about how they could further their project of taking down the goddess Lucia.

She presented the adventurers with three main threads to pursue as they saw fit:

1. Weaken Lucia by causing her to lose followers.

Eranah's first mission she gave the adventurers was to try to weaken Lucia's hold by finding some scandalous fact about her history.

"We should have two main goals," Eranah said matter of factly, "strengthen ourselves, and weaken our enemy. And what I've found is that a god's strength is magnified by her worshipers. We must strike a blow against Lucia's worshipers somehow. Obviously, we could just kill a bunch of them. And we will. But our task will become much easier if we can simply eliminate their desire to worship her. It is well-known among the flock that Lucia once walked this earth as a mortal, thousands of years ago. Her exploits in battle are well-known, but much about her life is shrouded in mystery. If you can find a detailed account of her life, from her time as a mortal, we may find some fact we can use. Fine, she's a goddess of purity, but how pure could she really have been?"

 Esme observed that they could just make up something and spread it as propaganda, but Darius replied that something that is true is likely to catch on and spread more quickly and solidly, as well as being harder for leaders of the church to reign in. They asked Eranah for some leads on this. The angel shrugged and said, "I have no idea. I'm not all-knowing...yet. Do I have to spoon-feed you everything? You're resourceful, you'll figure something out."

2. Raid the Tomb of a Dead God

For her next task, Eranah gave a much more specific goal: find out how exactly it is that Gods can die by visiting a dead god's tomb.

"I have confirmed that gods can die. I'd heard of it, but now I know for sure. And in fact, I know the location of the site where a god last met his demise, mere hundreds of years ago. I need you to look for an item - the deity would have carried it with him. It's called a Focus. Finding it may unlock the secrets of how to kill them. It's located in the middle of the Forest of Light to the east of here."

3. Overthrow/Conquer/Destroy the town of Grimgate

Eranah's final assignment was to head back to the city the adventurers first gathered in, and find some way to undermine it.

"The town of Grimgate is a problem.  It's located too close to the castle. It's got a fairly sizeable militia, an active Temple of Lucia, and good relations with neighboring towns. It could check our power if people start noticing. You need to nip that problem in the bud so that this flower we're growing can flourish. Either destroy it or control it or neutralize it as a threat in some other way. Just be creative. Oh, and have fun."

With their missions supplied, Eranah disappeared again, leaving the party to discuss how best to execute their new assignments. They eventually decided to try and pursue two at a time, and headed to the town of Grimgate to get a better idea of its defenses and to find information about the Temple of Lucia. 

The small, walled city of Grimgate was built by a brutal warlord as a place to house his armies. He built a huge keep to live in, and then a tall stone wall. He demanded that the city's main gate be made terrifying, so that his enemies would fear to storm it. Thus, the gate above the portcullis is carved to resemble a great fanged beast, and to enter the city, you must pass through its jaws. Once built, the warlord allowed refugees into the city for an exorbitant fee. Though the city was safe compared to the outside, he still ruled brutally. Still, the town gained a measure of respectability after the warlord's death. Only the gate and the occasionally active arena are remnants of the city's brutal past.

They entered the city and walked up the main street to the Temple of Lucia. Voss made sure to cast an Undetectable Alignment spell on himself before entering, and also dressed himself in Tristan's own armor, which was emblazoned with the symbols of Rika. They arrived just as the morning mass was completing, and as worshipers filed out, they walked up to the high priest. She was a gray-haired woman with a sharp nose and kind features, and introduced herself as High Priest Catherine Ginesis. As the adventurers began to inquire about Lucia's origins, the woman invited them to join her for their fellowship feast.

She led them through the large temple's wide halls to a banquet hall, which was dominated by a long table. As the priests gathered around, they bowed their heads in prayer. Catherine herself began to chant, and after a moment the table was suddenly covered with all varieties of delicious food. As Voss and the rest of the party began to inquire about the early history of Lucia's ascension to god-hood, Catherine was forced to admit that knowledge of that time was hard to come by. She revealed that most of the information they possessed came from a man named Lysander, who was an eye-witness to many of the events and knew Lucia quite well. She also revealed that after Lucia's ascension, he had founded a monastery on top of Mt. Myrrine to the North, in the Silver Mountains.

One of the lesser priests, who had been glaring at Voss, whispered something in the high priest's ear. He had recognized Tristan's armor, and Catherine began to question about its source. Voss replied that he had bought it off some merchant, which Catherine appeared to believe. She commented that it once belonged to a half-drow named Tristan, who they had had dealings with in the past, but who had questionable methods for fighting evil. She would be unsurprised to learn he had gotten himself killed.

With the information obtained, the party began to survey the city. It appeared very orderly, with guards on vigilant patrol. Esme was especially drawn to a run-down looking building that was nonetheless guarded by two armed men. She eventually approached to ask them what the building was, but was discouraged by their replies ("Perfectly legitimate business") and demands that she buzz off, and she resolved to find out what was inside. She decided to climb on top of it as stealthily as possible, causing her to be shot at by the guards. She punched through the roof and found a large wardrobe, and another guard inside. She hastily made an escape, but resolved to come back when it was dark.

They then attempted to gather some information on the political climate - what its rulers were like, what weaknesses they might have. After being barred from entering the main gate, they stopped at an upscale establishment in the town square known as the Dark Stallion inn, which was run by an older elven woman. She was very forthcoming with her opinions about the town's leadership, and revealed that the Petrina family did little else but tax them, regulate the guard, and leave them to their own devices. The town council made most decisions about governing themselves beyond that.

They also found out that Lord Petrina was throwing a festival to celebrate his son's birthday next month. They found out that, despite the Lord's attempts to make this exciting, that previous festivals had been disappointing for the young, humorless heir, who was about to reach 19 winters. Nissa's mind began to wander with possibilities of seducing a young, lonely boy.

As the rest of the party enjoyed the luxuries of a very expensive Inn, Esme went back to the mysterious building, only to find the guard has doubled. She attempted to climb a building for a better vantage point, only to be flagged down by a guard with a torch. She attempted to run, and lost the guard after a short time, but others were soon alerted as she ducked behind some crates. As they began to surround her, with blades drawn, she decided to fight her way out with her gauntlet-covered  hands.

She pummeled one guard to the ground, but was quickly overwhelmed by five guards with swords. She finally surrendered as she was bleeding from open wounds, but continued to protest loudly as they clapped manacles on her, yelling accusations of rape and brutality. Many people stepped out of their homes to see the loud spectacle. Voss, overhearing some of the commotion, went and healed the fallen guard and let them drag her away before reporting to the others. Nissa elected to stay at the end, as her involvement with Esme's rescue could taint her future political plans. 

Darius and Voss, however, observed where they took her - a tower just inside the walls - and stormed it, cutting down many guards along the way. Voss Air Walked to the top of that tower and walked down, obliterating guards with the Sword of Tiernach and his spells. Darius likewise summoned several creatures who caused chaos for the guards. Esme was finally pulled out of her cell, and together they ran from town, with Nissa joining once enough time had passed.

They uncovered several leads, but it's clear it will take some work to pursue them. How will the chaos they've sown affect their plans to overthrow Grimgate? We'll have to find out next time on Pathfinder: Evil Campaign!

The Increasingly Inaccurately-named One-Shot Campaign

I'm going to talk about another one of my one-shot campaigns, since it was really fun and it looks like something similar is about to happen again with the evil campaign. I was living in a town called Montegut in high school. It was kind of the middle of nowhere, but it was a quiet little town and most of my friends lived nearby. Or with me, in the case of my friend Chahlz (actually Charles, but we say it as if the word were one syllable).

My friend Ethan would sometimes come visit to play Magic or just hang out with me and Chahlz. We got tired of that one day, so we figured, why the hell not, let's play D&D instead. Yeah, just the three of us. I figured that might be a little rough, since the game is designed for four players, but I could balance the challenges somewhat and maybe add in an NPC helper of some kind. Or, because I'm actually okay at this DMing thing, a helper that is part of the plot. So they set to making characters and I set to making the game.

For my inspiration/blatant thievery, I looked to Vagrant Story, my favorite video game of all time (unless I've played Final Fantasy Tactics recently). I didn't steal the plot or characters or anything like that, but I did blatantly steal the whole idea of an abandoned magical city. And a bit of the city itself - the city was surrounded by a violent river, so they had to pass underground to get to it. By the way, play that game if you haven't. It's a one-man dungeon crawl and it's awesome.

So I made a small town for them to exist in, and I designed the whole city and top ground layers and bottom layers, with an eye for Vagrant Story's aesthetic.

This game was the closest to a straight hack and slash game I've ever run. But Ethan and Chahlz have great chemistry together, so they were constantly role-playing, even while they were looting abandoned bedrooms and such. And their characters would get really excited over the loot, even if it was just a well-preserved tapestry of some kind.

I can't quite remember what Ethan made (some kind of spellcaster, I think), but I know Chahlz was a spear-focused Fighter. Their NPC guardian who led them there was a Paladin on a crusade to discover the secrets of the city and to eventually invade the abyss, to find some way of stopping the frequent demon invasions. Probably somewhat foolishly, but it didn't actually make it that far. I know I eventually wanted to expand into a campaign that traveled between the planes frequently.

Anyway, the first time they played, they had a ton of fun and got through about half of my dungeon. And we picked it up again the next week they were both free. For a little over a month, they'd call and say, "Hey, do you wanna get together and play that one-shot campaign again?" I commented that it wasn't really a one-shot anymore, since we had played it like three times. So, with a nod to Douglas Adams and his Hitchhikers Trilogy, I dubbed it the Increasingly Inaccurately-named One-shot Campaign.

Still, all good things must come to an end. As we kept playing it, we told stories to our friends about it and our inside joke about what to call it, and they eventually wanted to play, too. It was fun and this little dungeon-crawl was on the verge of turning into something awesome. Once again, I figured, why the hell not? So we added my friends Blake and Charlie. And for some reason, the session they were introduced was the last one. I know it's not their fault directly. They're very fun people to play with and they always make interesting characters.

I think the introduction of the other people changed the dynamic we had, though. The party doubled in size and it wasn't the same. That might have ruined some of the appeal for Ethan and Chahlz. The new characters also took some time to get invested in the story, and they were simply absent for some of the formative events.

I think the bigger killer was the complexity creep, however. I had gotten to the point where I was comfortable eschewing a battle map when the encounters were fairly simple. And with a two-person party, that was all the time. I'd describe the room so they have some positioning, and as long as there was only one monster, the battles could be like, "Am I close? I swing at it," or "I charge at it". Positioning doesn't really matter when all they need are yes and no answers to these few simple questions. But adding in a third and fourth really required a battle map. We had one really big battle in that session that drove this point home for me.

Yet another problem was that by adding people, it was just harder to get everyone together for it. That wasn't as much of a problem in high school as it is now, but people still had jobs and other things they wanted to do with their time.

So, that's the story of my Increasingly Inaccurately-named One-shot Campaign, a game that started simple and was ruined by complexity. I'm not sure what the lesson is here. Games may not survive drastic changes to the party dynamic? This is consistent with my other experiences. Try to run with the minimum number of people? Well, maybe. Steal from video games for successful games? Well, obviously!

My friends should feel free to comment on the details they remember from this game, because many of them have slipped my mind.

Pathfinder: Evil Campaign

We finally got to play D&D again. Well, technically Pathfinder, but this is D&D 3.5.5, pretty much, so it counts. It was my first experience with Pathfinder, and I have to say, I like it a lot. It seems like most classes and races are pumped up quite a bit, some things rebalanced, some things simplified. I love what they did with the skill points. I think I'll enjoy playing around with Pathfinder.

When I was in high school, I used to run a lot of one-shot campaigns - short campaigns that were intended to be finished within a single session, as opposed to the long running ones me and my friend Charlie kept going. Sometimes we wanted a break. Sometimes we just wanted something different - new setting, new characters to play around with. I've run some pretty famous ones - Easter D&D (a tradition that has officially outlived my involvement), The Increasingly Inaccurately Named One-shot Campaign. I may write about those later. But for my first Pathfinder excursion, I decided to revive another of these concepts - the Evil campaign.

It's pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Most of us were inclined to playing good-aligned characters, so one day a long time ago, I decided we should all play an evil adventuring party. It went well. I may write about that party's exploits a bit later. If there's one thing I won't run out of anytime soon, it's D&D stories, man.

In my experience, there are two major hurdles that an evil adventuring party needs to overcome. First, evil is self-interested in general. There are very few reasons not to pillage and rob and kill your own party if you are so inclined. Second, a naive idea of evil can make characters seem one-dimensional. To try and solve these problems, I made sure that the players made characters with clear motivations and goals. I reminded them that evil can be both complex and calculating. Evil characters can still love and feel, and have relationships. I demanded a little more background story than I usually do for a one-shot campaign, but it's necessary if we want a game that isn't all hack and slash.

What I wanted was a game where we imagine the villain of a fantasy story - and then play that villain.

Below, I recount the story of our evil one-shot campaign:

A half-drow Paladin named Tristan sought out each of the adventurers for an unusual request. Although he would normally be their mortal enemy, he had a use for their unique skills - an astral deva had been cast out of the Celestial realms, and he had tasked himself with eliminating the fallen angel. In return, he offered to keep the authorities off of the adventurer's backs for a short while, and also to give them some artifacts his church had confiscated over the years. Suspicious, but willing, the party gathered for the first time at a tavern known as the Second Darkest Corner. The adventurers included:

Voss, a human cleric of Tiernach, the god of tyranny and war. He prayed to the Dread Lord before agreeing, asking if accepting this mission from this Paladin would advance his divine plan. The Dark God had replied with a resounding, "Yesss." Voss was an intimidating sight in his black full plate armor - a dark man with a bloody past.

Nissa, a human sorceress, who used her beauty and her magic to bend others to do her bidding. Her magic was subtle when she wanted it to be, but she tended to leave a trail of destruction in her wake. She desired riches and power, but to manipulate and dominate other people was also its own reward for her. She was an otherworldly beauty with purple eyes.

Darius, a half-elf Summoner, a former mercenary who had glimpsed (or at least thought he had glimpsed) one of the Elder Horrors. He then started his own religion, and sculpted his Eidolon to reflect the horrifying vision he had seen. He was a charismatic speaker, whose ravings had attracted a following. Experienced initiates in this cult would often find themselves devoured by his creature, Karnak - and would love every second of it.

Esme, a ruthless mercenary and talented archer. She seemed to have no moral compass - she only followed the money. She had fought side by side with good people, and had also fought against those people when the money got good. As an old friend of Darius, she served as a guardian for his cult, though she was ambivalent about his goals and beliefs.

After terrifying half of the bar, the half-drow met them at sunset, and they began their trek to Castle Stormhome, where the angel had crashed. Darius had converted yet another new follower, who enthusiastically accompanied them on the journey.

On their way, a group of bandits ambushed them, and demanded their valuables. Nissa tried her best to use her looks to get past them, but when that failed, she unleashed a fireball upon a portion of the bandits, setting the forest on fire in the process. Darius, who had elected not to summon his Eidolon yet that day, instead summoned a tall, clawed demon to attack the leader instead. Voss prayed to his deity and wounded another group with negative energy. Next, he used Tiernach's might to command the leader to attack his friends. Unable to comprehend what he was doing, the leader charged at one of his friends and killed him with his short sword. Confused, the last remaining bandit attempted to retreat while firing arrows at his former leader. Esme finished him off, causing the leader to drop his sword and surrender. Esme put an arrow between his eyes without mercy, earning a glare from the Paladin.

After taking time to loot the bodies, the party arrived at Castle Stormhome, a large walled castle whose tall spires were visible against the moonlight. Inside the courtyard, a Cleric of reidman and her husband guarded the entrance in a makeshift camp. The cleric was attending to a lantern that glowed with a green flame - apparently an artifact that prevented travel to other planes. Tristan left them there, and implored them to kill the angel at any cost. He also gave Voss a powerful item that he said could take out the angel - the Sword of Tiernach, the Dread Lord's unholy weapon. 

Darius took a moment to step outside the courtyard and summon Karnak, his own little dimensional horror, and fed his new follower to him. Afterwards, the party stepped into the castle.

After exploring a few rooms, they came to a door and heard whispers on the other side. After failing to be stealthy, they instead formed a battle plan. Darius commanded Karnak to storm into the room, where the creature was pelted with fiery arrows. They had happened across a pair of Erinyes, who had come to the castle to try and recruit the angel to the armies of the Nine Hells. Seeing that Voss was a cleric of Tiernach, they halted their assault and began to speak. However, they were unable to come to a compromise and were unwilling to bow before a mere mortal, and so the fight resumed.

The winged creatures were firing arrows from the safety of the air, but Esme pelted one with several well-placed arrows. Voss then commanded one to fall to the ground, where the wounded creature was promptly attacked and devoured by Karnak, who spit up the creature's magic longbow. Nissa then cast a powerful charm spell on the remaining one, and despite the fact that her companion was dead, the new Erinyes was now magically compelled to be friendly. She then assisted the party as they explored the rest of the castle, introducing herself as Kara.

When they entered the throne room, they could see a huge hole in the floor, and a matching one in the ceiling. The angel had literally fallen from the heavens. The hole was quite deep, and the adventurers could not see the bottom. They eventually went down a long spiral staircase to the bottom level of the castle, which contained both the crypts and the dungeon. They happened upon a lantern archon, who was trying to redeem the angel. However, as they opened the last door to the chamber where the angel fell, the fallen angel known as Eranah simply slashed through the small creature.

The fallen angel was a beautiful ruin - the armored angel carried a great flaming sword and was bathed in white light, which grew brighter as she raged. She had huge, feathery wings, but they were cracked and bloody. She likewise cried bitter, bloody tears and raged at Lucia, the goddess who had thrown her out. Once she acknowledged the party's presence, she instead persuaded them to help her to gain revenge by helping her become as powerful as a god. After much debating about the specifics of this arrangement, the party agreed to help. Eranah's first task for them was to eliminate the Paladin and his friends, who held her bound here. She used her powers to restore their spent strength, and also granted her blessing.

The party journeyed back upstairs and formed a battle plan. Rather than confronting them directly, they elected to catch them by surprise. They used their newly recruited Erinyes to fly them, one by one, through the hole the angel's fall had made in the throne room ceiling. Voss cast Airwalk on Karnak, who was too large to be carried. They were quite a distance in the air on top of the castle, but still in range for their spells and archers. Tristan, the cleric Mara, and her husband Kent were taken completely unaware by the assault. They sat around the fire, waiting for the adventurers to return, save for Mara, who was focused on maintaining the green flame.

Nissa started the assault, pouring her energy into an especially powerful Fireball spell, which took them all completely unaware. Voss followed shortly after with a well-placed Flame Strike. Mara and Kent were taken out by this barrage of spells, and Tristan had yet to climb to his feet. Esme and the Erinyes both unleashed arrows at the Paladin, and Darius caused black tentacles to erupt from the ground to grab the Paladin. The Paladin was determined, but was not strong enough to fight them off, and after a short discussion, they decided to take him alive. 

After descending to the ground, they stripped the Paladin of his belongings and clothes and chained him up in the castle's dungeon. They then claimed the artifacts he had promised them, as well as the lantern the cleric had used.

Eranah praised their handiwork, and said she must go and find out some things on her own, but she'd be back with a plan of how to proceed.