In Waterdeep, a gold coin is called a dragon. Before he was ousted from his position as the Open Lord of Waterdeep, Dagult Neverember embezzled half a million dragons and hid them in a secret vault. As a security precaution, he arranged for all knowledge of the vault’s location and defenses to be magically erased from his mind and the minds of his subordinates. The wizard who performed the procedure trapped this knowledge within an artifact, and then disappeared shortly thereafter. Afterwards, Dagult hid the artifact somewhere in Waterdeep.
I want to run a PBP D&D 5e game of the adventure Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. It’s an urban campaign that takes place in the Forgotten Realms. I’m looking for 4 to 5 players.
There will be a lot of opportunities for roleplaying in this adventure, but your PCs are small fish in a big pond. And you will need to speak to characters and villains who could wipe out your party without breaking a sweat. And if you treat the adventure like GTA: Waterdeep you can expect your character to be put behind bars or just disintegrated.
So if you want to be evil and ambitious. Awesome. Just be smart about it.
We will be making 1st level characters. All official WotC material will be allowed. Waterdeep is a weird place where you can find pretty much anything. I’m not against homebrew, or Unearthed Arcana, but I may need to be sold on it. Please provide a link if you can.
For ability scores roll 4d6 and drop the low. Scores below 8, become 8. If you roll something I deem unplayable, then I will allow a reroll.
Variant humans are allowed, as are feats and multiclassing.
Take the equipment and wealth included in your class and background.
You may then select one Uncommon magic item. After all, your party has already done some adventuring together. Maybe you inherited it, maybe you took it from a memorable enemy, or maybe you found it in some odd dungeon. Or maybe you used it to get past some weird trap, or surpass some insurmountable obstacle. Bottomline, this item should mean something to your character. And not be something you just sell for a quick buck later.
Please do not make a new account unless I confirm that you have been chosen for the game. If you want to write a backstory for your character, that’s great. But please keep it to like a paragraph or two. I need a pitch more than I need a novel.
• For players I expect about 2 to 3 posts a week. And try to check in once a day to read new posts. Real life gets in the way, I get that. But please try to give a warning if you need some time away from the game.
• I will use average damage. It makes my life easier, and enemies a little more dangerous.
• For the sake of mystery and suspense, I will sometimes make secret dice rolls outside of the online dice roller. I’ll try to avoid that for things like combat that should be more player facing, but should the need arise,I’ll be up front about it.
• I will adapt complex dungeons into more cinematic set-piece encounters. This may feel a little railroady at times, but I will do my best to provide player choice where possible. Slow dungeon crawls are fun at a gaming table, but over PBP it can get unwieldy. Instead, I’ll do my best to trim the boring bits into something more fun and narratively satisfying.
• I will create maps as needed for combat, but particularly complex or overly simplistic combats will probably just be done theater of the mind.
• All alignments are acceptable, however, your character needs to be someone who can function in a party with other players. I will not accept “just playing my character” shenanigans if they become disruptive. Granted, if you figure out during the game that maybe your paladin of Torm would have a hard time sticking around the current party, then we can have a discussion and come to some sort of compromise.
• If I get a rule wrong, just point it out to me politely in the Discussion thread. I’ll do my best to be fair and course correct as needed. I do however reserve the right to say no. But I’ll be open about why, and that normally only comes into play for Rule of Cool moments.
wicked_raygun is a PC in one of my games and, from the quality and consistency of his engagement, I can tell he's going GM this well. If I weren't overbooked on PBP, as always, I'd apply myself. I recommend you do!
wicked_raygun is a PC in one of my games and, from the quality and consistency of his engagement, I can tell he's going GM this well. If I weren't overbooked on PBP, as always, I'd apply myself. I recommend you do!
Thanks for the vote of confidence, boss. :-)
Well, based on that endorsement I'll have to dot this thread.
Whoo, Heist-tastic.
- 14
- 16
- 9
- 16
- 13
- 17
...well, damn. That's a nice set of numbers I got there.
Dotting and rolling...
-> 8 (from 5)
-> 15
-> 16
-> 15
-> 8 (from 7)
-> 9
16,15,15,9,8,8
That's an interesting mix of rather good and below average. I like it!
I'll dot. Sounds like a good bit of fun mayhem.
-3=14
-2=14
-1=12
-3=13
-2=16
-1=7
That's an interesting spread.
= 12
= 10
= 15
= 9
= 12
= 18
Full disclosure: I am part of a Waterdeep: Dragon Heist adventure on these boards, but I can keep player knowledge away from character knowledge. That being said, I would understand if you would rather start with 'fresh' players.
Will you be accepting 5E newbies? I bought the main 3 rulebooks when they came out but have stuck with Pathfinder. I love Waterdeep, though, so maybe it's time I branched out!
- 3 = 12
- 1 = 10
- 2 = 10
- 4 = 14
- 2 = 11
- 1 = 8 (min)
Oh Ray, I have missed having you as a GM. I simply must apply.
- 2 = 12
- 2 = 15
- 1 = 12
- 1 = 11
- 1 = 11
- 2 = 16
Wondering if you might allow this Scholar? Otherwise I'm probably eyeballing a Warlock.
Dreaming Warforged's application: Half-elf Rogue, Criminal background.
17
14
15
15
14
7(8)
Wow, I never roll that good. Let me see what I can come up with
I’m thinking noble human paladin
=> 16
=> 16
=> 16
=> 12
=> 14
=> 13
Oh, I like those rolls. thinking about a character that runs on the mayhem and the Indy ploy.
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Gheezz you guys following me...or am I following you..lol
Hi all...going to try this one as I know nothing about this adventure and it sounds pretty cool!
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Well, rather lacklustre rolls...if I am allowed to re-roll here they are below:
08
14
14
13
13
17
Much better!!
Thinking of a monk going the shadow route!
So I would love to do this fandango
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9
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We'll call me Mr below average... Give me a reroll?
Looking to go human mage I think
Full disclosure: I am part of a Waterdeep: Dragon Heist adventure on these boards, but I can keep player knowledge away from character knowledge. That being said, I would understand if you would rather start with 'fresh' players.
I have no problem with you having some previous knowledge about the game. The adventure is designed to be re-playable anyways.
***
Will you be accepting 5E newbies? I bought the main 3 rulebooks when they came out but have stuck with Pathfinder. I love Waterdeep, though, so maybe it's time I branched out!
I have no problem with newbies. The beauty about a PBP is that by its nature it's slow enough to give you a chance to look up things as you play. Also, Profession Smith, those scores are playable, but a little lack-luster. Feel free to re-roll.
***
Oh Ray, I have missed having you as a GM. I simply must apply.
Wondering if you might allow this Scholar? Otherwise I'm probably eyeballing a Warlock.
Yeah, the Scholar you showed me looks fine.
***
Dreaming Warforged's application: Half-elf Rogue, Criminal background.
Looks great!
***
Gheezz you guys following me...or am I following you..lol
Hi all...going to try this one as I know nothing about this adventure and it sounds pretty cool!** spoiler omitted **
Thinking of a monk going the shadow route!
I have no problem with the re-roll.
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So I would love to do this fandango
Ouch. Feel free to re-roll that inn-keeper, buddy.
Let's try this again....
- 2 = 16
- 2 = 9
- 5 = 17
- 3 = 15
- 1 = 13
- 2 = 9
I'd like to put in a submission. It might take me a few days to get the character submitted though. Can I ask what the deadline is?
For now:
-> 15
-> 8
-> 11
-> 15
-> 12
-> 13
9
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11
11
Gheezz you guys following me...or am I following you..lol
So long as a dragon's not following us, we're good! :P
Thought about doing a cleric with the trickery domain, but there's this idea I've got for a barbarian...
I think I'm going to go with the Barbarian. This should be fun. :D
I'm working up a female human bard with the noble background. The Ilzimmer clan were mostly stinkers back in the 3.0/3.5 era of the Forgotten Realms; I hope they're a bit more respectable 100+ years later.
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Here is the crunch for my submission. Will add a short background as well as still needing to decide what my magic item might be.
Simon
Half-elf Monk 1
Medium humanoid, neutral
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Armor Class 16
Hit Points 10 (1d8+2)
Speed 30 ft.
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STR 13 (+1), DEX 15 (+2), CON 14 (+2), INT 13 (+1), WIS 18 (+4), CHA 10 (+0)
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Saving Throws Str +3, Dex +4
Skills Acrobatics +4, Deception +2, Insight +6, Perception +6, Sleight of Hand +4, Stealth +4
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Elvish, Thieves' Cant
Actions
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Dart. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 20 ft./60 ft., one target.
Hit: 1d4+2 piercing damage.
Staff. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 1d6+2 bludgeoning damage or 1d8+2 bludgeoning damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack.
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.
Hit: 1d4+2 bludgeoning damage.
Equipment Dart (10), Staff, backpack, bedroll, clothes, common, mess kit, pouch, rations (3), rope, hempen (50 feet), thieves' tools, tinderbox, tinker's tools, waterskin, 17 gp, 13 sp, 10 cp
Working on a half-elf barbarian that uses charm and deception to get the best position for herself. Should be fun to play those aspects off of the side of her that really likes to fight.
16,15,15,9,8,8
I'll be doing up a Shadar-Kai Monk with the Urban Bounty Hunter background.
I'm wrangling together a double-axe wielding fighter. Since wicked_raygun was kind enough to allow some third-party shennanigans, including taking a drawback, I'm thinking I might be a Dragonborn.
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8
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Ok that is... Awesome. After thinking about it I may go blood Hunter with these rolls
wicked_raygun? 5e? Dragon Heist? Rolling for stats? I love everything about this, color me excited!
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8
11
Mostly above average, but nothing super special. But looks like a decent set for at least one or two ideas. I'd take a reroll if offered, but I think I can make it work either way.
The Cloudkills are a wealthy (Surprise, Surprise) noble family out of Athkalta in Amn. Their third son Mitchell was promised to the church of Waukeen, but his passion and military acumen, resulted in him becoming one of the rare Paladins of Waukeen. Who better to serve the family as an ambassador in Waterdeep? And it was paying off already... lost treasure how could he resist.
Character crunch to follow tonight...
Lucian of the Dark Moon
TN Shadar-kai Monk, Urban Bounty Hunter
Init:+4 Passive Perception 14
Darkvision 60'
XP: 0
Defense:
Armor: none (Unarmored Defense)
AC:16
HP:11
Resistances: Necrotic
Speed:30ft.
Melee:
Unarmed +6 1d4+4 Bludgeoning
Spear 2h +6 1d8+4 Piercing
Spear 1h +6 1d6+4 Piercing
Ranged:
Dart +6 1d4+4 Piercing
Statistics:
Str:8 Dex:18 Con:16 Int:8 Wis:15 Cha:9
Proficiency Bonus:+2
Saving Throws:
Str:+1 Dex:+4 Con:+3 Int:-1 Wis:+2 Cha:-1
Advantage to resist Charm effects.
Immune to magical Sleep effects.
Proficient Skills:
Acrobatics +6
Insight +4
Perception +4
Persuasion +1
Stealth +6
Other Proficiencies:
Thief's Tools
Cook's Utensils
Flute
Language: Common, Elvish
Race Features:
Darkvision 60'
Fey Ancestry: Advantage on charmed saves and immune to sleep magic.
Blessing of the Raven Queen: As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. Starting at 3rd level, you also gain resistance to all damage when you teleport using this trait. The resistance lasts until the start of your next turn. During that time, you appear ghostly and translucent.
Theme Features:
Ear to the Ground: You are in frequent contact with people in the segment of society that your chosen quarries move through. These people might be associated with the criminal underworld, the rough-and-tumble folk of the streets, or members of high society. This connection comes in the form of a contact in any city you visit, a person who provides information about the people and places of the local area.
Class Features:
Unarmored Defense: While you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.
Martial Arts: Make an extra unarmed strike when you take Attack action.
Gear:
Traveler's clothes
Explorer's Pack (Includes a backpack, a bedroll, a mess kit, a tinderbox, 10 torches, 10 days of rations, and a waterskin. The pack also has 50 feel of hempen rope strapped to the side of it.)
Coin: 20gp
Lucian is a member of the Order of the Dark Moon, sometimes acting as a spy, thief, bounty hunter, or even assassin in the name of Shar. Between assignments he participates in freelance activities to keep his skills sharp and build contacts. If he makes some money in the process, so much the better.
Uncommon item: Thinking either Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location or Winged Boots. the former is more thematic, the latter is probably more useful.
Can we arrange the rolls, or take them as we receive them?
I have notions for a multiclass fighter/rogue.
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7
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Decimus, remember that scores won't drop below 8, so that 7 pops back up.
Can we sell items from our starting bundle that we don't want for 50% gold? I'm thinking of trading in my starting armour and getting my uncommon magic item as something shinier.
Rolling for HP at level 1
Thinking Sentinel Shield as magic item of choice. Given as a gift from his family for the journey to always make him alert to danger.
Mitchell Cloudkeep
Mitchell Cloudkeep
Male Human Paladin 1
Medium humanoid, lawful neutral
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Armor Class 18 (chain mail, shield)
Hit Points 13 (1d10+4)
Speed 30 ft.
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STR 16 (+3), DEX 15 (+2), CON 18 (+4), INT 9 (-1), WIS 15 (+2), CHA 16 (+3)
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Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +5
Skills Athletics +5, History +1, Insight +4, Persuasion +5
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish
Actions
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Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 30 ft./120 ft., one target.
Hit: 1d6+3 piercing damage.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 1d8+3 slashing damage or 1d10+3 slashing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack.
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.
Hit: 4 bludgeoning damage.
Equipment chain mail, Javelin (5), Longsword, sentinel shield, backpack, bedroll, mess kit, pouch, rations (8), rations (2), rope, hempen (50 feet), tinderbox, torch (10), waterskin, 25 gp
Background Noble
Position of Privilege:
*Thanks to your noble birth, people are inclined to think the best of you. You are welcome in high society, and people assume you have the right to be wherever you are. The common folk make every effort to accommodate you and avoid your displeasure, and other people of high birth treat you as a member of the same social sphere. You can secure an audience with a local noble if you need to.
Personality Traits:
*The common folk love me for my kindness and generosity.
*Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood.
Ideals:
*Noble Obligation. It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me. (Good)
Bonds:
*Nothing is more important than the other members of my family.
Flaws:
*I hide a truly scandalous secret that could ruin my family forever.
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14
OMG! Yes, please.
My pitch will be a nutbar, completely obsessed with finding that fortune, like Ready Player One or real life fortune hunters. Probably use the Urban Bounty Hunter to reflect the game mechanics. Need to settle on a race and class.
cheers
Okay, so here's what I've got.
Stats
Talliree Yndercook grew up in Waterdeep's Mistward as a small waif that was easily recruited by one of the gangs that vied for control of the city's underbelly with the promise of food and a shelter from the elements. The young half-elf proved to have charm and pluck aplenty that helped her out of jams when her swift feet and nimble fingers failed her.
The gang, known as the Crimson Breakers, grew in power and soon had the sponsorship of several nobles looking to use them in their power plays. Pickpocketing and confidence scams were replaced with burglary and murder, and Talliree felt her heart grow sick as she learned what her "family" had become. She withdrew and kept to her close friend, Farlo Hen, a young boy just a little older than she. Farlo, though, was a human, and after only a few years, he was growing into a strong, tall, young man.
A year ago, when Talliree was sixteen, she confessed to Farlo that she couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't stand by as innocent people were killed by the Breakers' enforcers. Farlo sold her out, and was tasked with taking care of Talliree, by beating her to a pulp and bringing her to the leader of the Crimson Breakers, an elf called Shiva Rune. Farlo was more than willing to carry out the task, seeing it as his chance for promotion.
Unfortunately for Farlo, though, he didn't know Talliree as well as he thought. He had planned on overpowering her only to find her more than a match for his strength and much tougher than he thought anyone built on Talliree's slight frame could be. Talliree, angered and hurt by the betrayal, tapped into hidden wellsprings of strength and resolve even she hadn't realized were there. The rush as she strained to prove her strength was heady indeed and by the time she punched Farlo's lights out, she was laughing and enjoying the fight.
Afterwards, Talliree realized her time with the Crimson Breakers was at an end, and decided to pull a stunt she might not have gone through with if she had been even just a little less giddy from the adrenaline rush. She took Farlo's picks and went to Shiva Rune's private quarters and stole a pile of gold from the gang leader's coffers. She slipped out into the night, stifling the laughter until she was out of the Mistward then cackling like a madwoman as she was finally free.
For the past year, she has been bouncing around Waterdeep's poorer sections, distributing the gold among those in need while it lasted. Her charm and willingness to help out have earned her a small amount of trust from the city's underclasses, while her sense of adventure has kept her busy over the past year.
I'm imagining that Talliree grabbed the Cloak of Elvenkind on a whim as she was helping one or more of the other party members out of a tight spot. She found that the cloak's magic made it easy to slip past the thieves looking for the group, or to kill them without them knowing what was going on. It would have also become clear that Talliree's plans basically involve setting a goal, finding out what's in the way, and improvising a solution.
Thé bare bones of my pitch is a mountain dwarf barbarian sage. Apprenticing mason to pay the bills, obsessed dragon treasure hunter. Lives and breathes finding that treasure. Equates it to slaying a dragon.
Would appreciate knowing your selection guidelines and criteria. If you’re going to select based on quantity and quality of backstory, please be frank, so I can deliver.
Thanks
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Alrighty, the idea for the character:
In an organization as large as Waterdeep city guard, there is bound to be a few bad apples. And there is no finer example of this unscrupulous type, than sergeant Aldun Brigg. He is more than willing to look the other way, if enough coins appears in his pockets. Likewise, the shopkeeps have noticed there will be much more guards watching their streets, should a small donation be made on the Guard's recreation fund.
But what keeps him in the job is his reputation as the deadliest marksman in the Guard, and a very good track record of catching criminals (the ones who failed to make their payments, anyway).
On the streets one hears all kinds of rumors, and one about half a million dragons hidden in a vault sounds particularly interesting. Especially for Aldun, a man whose hunger for gold knows no bounds.
I think Aldun will be a variant human fighter, specializing in crossbows. The crunch is here, but might change as I figure out the system better. And naturally I'll make PBP-friendlier character sheet here on the boards, should I be chosen.
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My character pitch - (Crunch is above)
Simon is an orphan and lives on the streets of Waterdeep. Both his parents were killed in a fire and he was left on his own to fend. He has learned the ways of the underworld as well as fighting with minimal weapons (sometimes just his fists). His one prize position is his 'Lucky Marble" that he found one day while searching the trash in an alley. Since he found it, things just seem to be a little better for the young man.
I have been really wanting to give 5e a try...so going to give this a dot and then I will read over the thread so far.
Let's do the rolling while I read.
-1 = 8
-2 = 11
-2 = 10
-1 = 4 => 8
-2 = 9
-1 = 11
Wow. 11, 11, 10, 9, 8, 8. So a human commoner then.
GM, can I get permission to reroll?
If I am not too late I would like to put my name in the hat
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Maybe a wizard or a bard
Wow. There has been a much bigger response then I was guessing there would be. So to make things a little easier to manage for myself, if you roll your stats and feel like you need a re-roll, go ahead and take it. Use your best judgement. If I see something that's egregious, I'll step in quietly with a PM.
I forgot to include the submission close date. Sorry about that. I will close submissions on Sunday, May 12th, 8PM EST. I will make choices on the next day or so. So please don't feel like you need to rush.
If you would like to sell any extraneous items in your kit for 50% gold, that's fine. But you should probably wait until you've been picked for that level of nitty gritty detail. I always allow a grace period for players to make final adjustments to character sheets before a game starts.
As for Phntm888 who wanted to add a weapon proficiency through their background. That's fine. Doesn't seem like it would really effect game play that much. Especially for a sorcerer.
Yay! Not stuck as a commoner that could be killed by a housecat.
- 2 = 15
- 1 = 9
- 1 = 16
- 1 = 13
- 2 = 9
- 2 = 11
16, 15, 13, 11, 9, 9
That seems like a much more respectable array.
Let me go look over the player's handbook and see what I can build.