RMH-EP-01: The Grand Masquerade (Inactive)

Game Master Aeshuura

Here is where we hold discussion for this campaign, including character creation.

Hello hello folks!

Hello!

Hi!

As to what you answered in the other thread, I agree: having an odd appearance might hinder the whole group. Maybe... looking like someone else? As if the character would have swapped his body for another one. Or, if there's something that goes together with your plans... All I'm trying to find is something unique that comes as a secondary effect of the character dealing with powers far beyond his comprehension.

Mechanically, it'll be a classical pew-pew warlock/sorcerer, with some new things coming from Tasha's that I'd love to try. "Backgroundly", he'll be a poor man in need who'll sign up for "unlimited power without any consequence, I swear, nope".

That would be fine. Merely looking differently than you had previously, I don't see a problem with that.

Hi everyone! Thanks for putting this together, Aeshuura.

I've got the 5e rulebook but it has been awhile since I've looked at it. I have a character concept - alchemist's/scientist's/occultist's apprentice, barely into adulthood, taken from a life in the streets and given purpose by his master, who is a cold and (slightly) unstable person, as I'd imagine delving into the darkness of Ravenloft would be wont to do. The assistant would have spent years doing unglamourous work like grave robbing, assisting with research, etc., and may have step over the line of the right side of law at his master's direction (for the greater good of course). The master may or may not still be around as needed by the campaign and Aeshuura.

Class could be pretty much anything but I prefer classes that are either melee or force multipliers/facilitators.

Hey all. :)

I'm just sort of reading through the domains for inspiration at the moment. Richemulot, Darkon, Har'Akir, Hazlan, and Valachan as a quick top 5.

I probably won't use a lineage, instead I think I'd rather center the persona around a Dark Gift, as they seem pretty diverse for RP. :D Of those, the 'Deadly Touch: You are out of sync with time or reality. Anything you touch is warped by the distortion' sounds most fun to play with personally.

Are firearms allowed from the get go? Just asking since I see them in the art of Van Richten's.

Hi everyone! Thanks for putting this together, Aeshuura.

I've got the 5e rulebook but it has been awhile since I've looked at it. I have a character concept - alchemist's/scientist's/occultist's apprentice, barely into adulthood, taken from a life in the streets and given purpose by his master, who is a cold and (slightly) unstable person, as I'd imagine delving into the darkness of Ravenloft would be wont to do. The assistant would have spent years doing unglamourous work like grave robbing, assisting with research, etc., and may have step over the line of the right side of law at his master's direction (for the greater good of course). The master may or may not still be around as needed by the campaign and Aeshuura.

Class could be pretty much anything but I prefer classes that are either melee or force multipliers/facilitators.

Look through the Domains of Dread listed on the last page of the Character Generation Document and see if there is one that stands out to you. Meanwhile, I will look in Van Richten's Guide to see if there is one that seems like Gothic England-styled or seems to fit your theme.

As for class, the Tarokka deck seems to leave some interpretation, so your draw would just indicate the theme of your class...

Hey all. :)

I'm just sort of reading through the domains for inspiration at the moment. Richemulot, Darkon, Har'Akir, Hazlan, and Valachan as a quick top 5.

I probably won't use a lineage, instead I think I'd rather center the persona around a Dark Gift, as they seem pretty diverse for RP. :D Of those, the 'Deadly Touch: You are out of sync with time or reality. Anything you touch is warped by the distortion' sounds most fun to play with personally.

Are firearms allowed from the get go? Just asking since I see them in the art of Van Richten's.

Those Dark Gifts do look fun...

Look through the Domains of Dread listed on the last page of the Character Generation Document and see if there is one that stands out to you. Meanwhile, I will look in Van Richten's Guide to see if there is one that seems like Gothic England-styled or seems to fit your theme.

As for class, the Tarokka deck seems to leave some interpretation, so your draw would just indicate the theme of your class...

Sounds good! Using the Tarot Tarokka deck does sound like fun way to add a theme.

I want to stick with the Sun Soul monk. I am thinking a happy persona as I bring light to the world.

I was looking for an Arabian Nights kind of thing for Dominion, but I guess it'll have to make do with Egypt or India. Working on it.

I was looking for an Arabian Nights kind of thing for Dominion, but I guess it'll have to make do with Egypt or India. Working on it.

Yeah, it is a little Euro-centric, with only a few Asian locales...

I was looking for an Arabian Nights kind of thing for Dominion, but I guess it'll have to make do with Egypt or India. Working on it.

Looks like Hazlan could work for what you are looking for. It is an arcane wasteland, similar to Dark Sun's Athas...

If its ok, I'm going to go ahead and roll some cards. I have some free time today and this weekend which may not be the case next Wednesday (my work is back from summer break next week). Also I just feel like writing at the moment.

Common Deck, Background Suit: 1d4 ⇒ 1
Common Deck, Background Card: 1d10 ⇒ 6
Berserker of Swords The brutal and barbaric side of warfare; bloodlust; those with a bestial nature. Sword suit symbolizes aggression and violence

Common Deck, Class Suit: 1d4 ⇒ 1
Common Deck, Class Card: 1d10 ⇒ 3
Soldier of Swords War and sacrifice; the stamina to endure great hardship

Common Deck, Homeland Suit: 1d4 ⇒ 4
Common Deck, Homeland Card: 1d10 ⇒ 5
Druid of Glyphs The ambivalence and cruelty of nature and those who feel drawn to it; inner turmoil. Glyph suit symbolizes faith, spirituality, and inner strength.

High Deck, Dark Gift: 1d20 ⇒ 17
Mists Something unexpected or mysterious that can’t be avoided; a great quest or journey that will try one’s spirit

Combined Deck, Flaw: 1d30 ⇒ 5
Suit if applicable: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Elementalist of Stars The triumph of nature over civilization; natural disasters and bountiful harvests. Stars suit symbolizes the desire for personal power and control over things beyond the ken of mortals

Combined Deck, Ideal: 1d30 ⇒ 16
Suit if applicable: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Broken One Defeat, failure, and despair; the loss of something or someone important, without which one feels incomplete. A high deck card drawn here means the ideal is more pronounced

Obligatory Animal House reference

So, how do you interpret that? If it were me, the character would look like this:

Background: Soldier?
Class: Fighter, Barbarian, Paladin
Homeland: Valachan seems to fit the Druid motif...
Dark Gift: Mist Walker

Are you thinking similar?

More or less, yes. :) Was leaning Barbarian, but Paladin might be fun if no one else really wanted to play one.

I am going with the Monk, but I am rolling everything listed to help fluff it out. Since the monastery ends up deserted we will see if I am a remnant that was scattered to a new domain. I am going to go with a Halfling since race is apparently not drawn for.

Common Deck, Background Suit: 1d4 ⇒ 3
Common Deck, Background Card: 1d10 ⇒ 2

Philanthropist Two: Charity and giving on a grand scale; those who use wealth to fight evil and sickness

Common Deck, Class Suit: 1d4 ⇒ 4
Common Deck, Class Card: 1d10 ⇒ 2

Missionary Two: Those who spread wisdom and faith to others; warnings of the spread of fear and ignorance

Common Deck, Homeland Suit: 1d4 ⇒ 3
Common Deck, Homeland Card: 1d10 ⇒ 10

Rogue Master: Anyone for whom money is important; those who believe money is the key to their success

High Deck, Dark Gift: 1d20 ⇒ 7

Darklord: A single, powerful individual of an evil nature, one whose goals have enormous and far-reaching consequences

Combined Deck, Flaw: 1d40 ⇒ 20

Wizard Master: Mystery and riddles; the unknown; those who crave magical power and great knowledge

Combined Deck, Ideal: 1d30 ⇒ 10
Suit if applicable: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Priest Master Enlightenment; those who follow a deity, a system of values, or a higher purpose

Background: I am thinking Folk Hero.
Class: Sun Soul Monk
Homeland: I think Barovia works for this. I am not sure if there is a dark lord who is more into just wealth then Strahd.
Dark Gift: Symbiotic Being or Watchers. I am not sure if the GM makes the final determination here.

Background
1d4 ⇒ 2
1d10 ⇒ 9
Conjurer of Stars: The coming of an unexpected supernatural threat; those who think of themselves as gods

Class
1d4 ⇒ 2
1d10 ⇒ 3
Enchanter of Stars: Inner turmoil that comes from confusion, fear of failure, or false information

Domain
1d4 ⇒ 3
1d10 ⇒ 2
Philantropist of Coins: Charity and giving on a grand scale; those who use wealth to fight evil and sickness

Dark Gift
1d20 ⇒ 14
Horseman: Death; disaster in the form of the loss of wealth or property, a horrible defeat, or the end of a bloodline

Flaw
1d20 ⇒ 1
Artifact: The importance of some physical object that must be obtained, protected, or destroyed at all costs

Ideal
1d20 ⇒ 8
Darklord: A single, powerful individual of an evil nature, one whose goals have enormous and far-reaching consequences

I'll think about it carefully; some of them go well with my idea, some others not as much...

I am gonna leave it up to the cards wholely, so let's see!

Common Deck, Background Suit: 1d4 ⇒ 3
Common Deck, Background Card: 1d10 ⇒ 1
Swashbuckler of Coins: Those who like money yet give it up freely; likable rogues and rapscallions

Common Deck, Class Suit: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Common Deck, Class Card: 1d10 ⇒ 7
Illusionist of Stars: Lies and deceit; grand conspiracies; secret societies; the presence of a dupe or a saboteur

Common Deck, Homeland Suit: 1d4 ⇒ 1
Common Deck, Homeland Card: 1d10 ⇒ 4
Mercenary of Swords: Inner strength and fortitude; those who fight for power or wealth

High Deck, Dark Gift: 1d20 ⇒ 19
The Seer: Inspiration and keen intellect; a future event, the outcome of which will hinge on a clever mind

Combined Deck, Flaw: 1d30 ⇒ 25
Suit: 1d4 ⇒ 4
The Innocent: A being of great importance whose life is in danger (who might be helpless or simply unaware of the peril)

Combined Deck, Ideal: 1d30 ⇒ 5
Suit: 1d4 ⇒ 4
Druid of Glyphs: The ambivalence and cruelty of nature and those who feel drawn to it; inner turmoil

Alright so my initial thoughts here are

Background: feels very Folk Hero to me, Robinhood-esque
Class: I think that illusionist school wizard or almost any rouge subclass could work well. I'll see what we are looking like we may be in need of.
Domain: without having read into them too deeply, this seems to fit Dementlieu, Falkovnia, and Kartakass. I plan to look more into domains tomorrow though.
Dark Gift: Echoing soul seems like the clear most appropriate but Gathered whispers I think could also fit
Flaw: I think what makes the most sense is I got greedy and hurt those I was helping as a folk hero through greed, flesh this out more as I get more into my backstory.
Ideal: This has a very life isn't fair to spit in its face feel to me but again I need to get more into the backstory to develop it.

First of all:

Now, on the draws, I'm going to tweak them a bit - using the same cards I've drawn, but altered in order (always respecting the Common vs High/Combined draw):

Background: Philantropist of Coins (Investigator)
Charity and giving on a grand scale; those who use wealth to fight evil and sickness.
The revelation of the existance of true gods vs the false gods created by Ankhtepot made the character change its approach to the world, turning into someone more inquisitive and less gullible, using his gifts and capabilities to unearth the truth and liberate his people.

Class: Conjurer of Stars (Sorcerer/Warlock)
The coming of an unexpected supernatural threat; those who think of themselves as gods.
The character is the supernatural threat. "Those who think themselves as gods" comes from his sorcerer origin, the Divine Soul, and from his patron, the Genie - a creature capable of granting wishes and acting almost as a deity. So it matches his class: the "Sorlock".

Domain: Enchanter of Stars (Har'Akir)
Inner turmoil that comes from confusion, fear of failure, or false information.
He is a Divine Soul, someone who have inherited the gifts of a being related to the gods, in a place where the gods have been erradicated, their place taken by the false creatoins of the Darklord Ankhtepot. Confusion, false information...

Dark Gift: Darklord
A single, powerful individual of an evil nature, one whose goals have enormous and far-reaching consequences.
Honestly, that choice was just the one left. I'll leave it to the GM whether he wants to asign a Dark Gift and whether he wants to link it to the choice.

Flaw: Artifact
The importance of some physical object that must be obtained, protected, or destroyed at all costs.
As a result of his pact, he - among other things - received a signet ring, and was told to guard it with his life else the pact would be considered broken on his part. Truth or not, he's not willing to risk his second chance, at least not until some proper investigations on the matter can shed light to the nature of his actual condition.

Ideal: Horseman
Death; disaster in the form of the loss of wealth or property, a horrible defeat, or the end of a bloodline.
Being in a dire situation, the character signed a pact. One that would cause much pain to him, though - his soul being swapped to a different body and place. He lost his relatives, his land and almost everything. He paid the price for survival, and he's sworn to use this second chance to make an impact in the Domains.

All of it, of course, subject to GM's approval and susceptible of being only what the character believes but not necessarily the truth.

For combined deck, I was doing d30 because there's 10 common cards and 20 high deck results in the table. So a rolled 9 would be a common card but a rolled 11 would be card 1 of the high deck. Suit only applies if its a common card. There wasn't a rule anywhere, it just made sense.

I assume when it talks about top card for those its a typo...the proofing/editing on AL stuff is sometimes sorta lacking (despite them being otherwise amazing usually).

I assumed the same as mishima

Right, so let's see what happens when I draw from the proper Combined Deck.

Dark Gift 1d20=14 Horseman: Death; disaster in the form of the loss of wealth or property, a horrible defeat, or the end of a bloodline

Flaw 1d30 ⇒ 11 1d4 ⇒ 1 Artifact: The importance of some physical object that must be obtained, protected, or destroyed at all costs

Ideal 1d30 ⇒ 10 1d4 ⇒ 4 Priest of Glyphs: Enlightenment; those who follow a deity, a system of values, or a higher purpose

Let's give it a thought...

I really like the way Jereru formatted the card responses. I tried to do something similar but failed.

But I've settled on female tabaxi barbarian (berserker) with outlander background, from Valachan. Mist walker dark gift.

Personality wise, she is very paranoid and untrusting (because everyones shes met has tried to rip her heart out) and feral, barely able to speak. She'll appear as the jaguar knights of Mesoamerica and use a macuahuitl (greatsword) etc.

When the full moon signals the next Trials of Hearts, murder becomes the primary element of survival. Xune has ever only known to kill or be killed, the slightest fundamentals of civilization...humanity...both alien and unknown.

Fear, anger, hopelessness...rage. The sadness of solitude. Xune learned early in her feral childhood how such things could become the instruments of death. Many have tried to tear the heart from her chest and claim victory...but all failed.

Is it correct there is no +1 rule for this? I could be a tabaxi with tasha rules for example?

Greetings all and thanks for the invite! This ramped up faster than I expected, looking at the thread.

Let's see what the dice throw at us for a suggestion:

Suits: (1)swords, (2)stars, (3)coins, (4)glyphs

Background
suit: 1d4 ⇒ 1
common: 1d10 ⇒ 3

Soldier
War and sacrifice; the stamina to endure great hardship

Class
suit: 1d4 ⇒ 1
common: 1d10 ⇒ 6

Berserker
The brutal and barbaric side of warfare; bloodlust; those with a bestial nature

Homeland
suit: 1d4 ⇒ 4
common: 1d10 ⇒ 6

Anarchist
A fundamental change brought on by one whose beliefs are being put to the test

Dark Gift
High: 1d20 ⇒ 20

Tempter
One who has been compromised or led astray by temptation or foolishness; one who tempts others for evil ends

Flaw
High: 1d20 ⇒ 5

Broken One
Defeat, failure, and despair; the loss of something or someone important, without which one feels incomplete

Ideal
High: 1d20 ⇒ 2

Artifact
The importance of some physical object that must be obtained, protected, or destroyed at all costs

This is Malinor. I have my character built. I did not put in the Dark Fate until I find out if you have a preference on the two I mentioned.

Alright, so I'll put all these card draws in the alias. Some things will be fully explained by them, and some others won't... but finding them out will be part of the story, and that's also fun, ain't it?

Off to work, then!

Just came back from work (gonna say only one thing: when you travel by plane, please treat right the guys at the chek-in and boarding; they're super nice and can turn your flight experience into a nightmare, believe me).

I've created this alias, where I'll put all the crunch when I finish dinner and take a well deserved rest.

P.S. Yes, I'm one of those guys.

It all looks good, in the cases of making a choice, I feel like that is in your interpretation of what will make the most fun character for you to play. As for PHB +1, that has been done away with, so you are good to go on that, Mishima. I like the discussion here and will compile the final decisions:

Xune (Mishima) - tabaxi barbarian from Valachan w/ Mist Walker
Garret Goodbarrel (Malinor) - halfling monk from Barovia (Dark Gift undetermined)
Kemephis (Jereru) - quick note, half genie is not an allowable race, but a variant human could work with Elemental Adept feat. Also, you normally do not start with a feat (only variant humans do), so Crusher is out, unless you take that as your variant human selection. Another note, Sorcerers are not Ritual Casters, so I just want you to be aware of this before you take Alarm based on that assumption.

Waiting on Eithand, DJ, and Chicken's selections...

Ok, I will go with Watchers. A little paranoia at always being watched never hurt anyone.

Oh nice, I didn't realize the ability score customization options in Tasha's were standard for AL now. Going to change my stats a little.

OK, taking a page from djpika and using their method for rolls here.

Suits: (1)swords, (2)stars, (3)coins, (4)glyphs

Background
suit: 1d4 ⇒ 3
common deck: 1d10 ⇒ 8

Tax collector: Corruption; honesty in an otherwise corrupt government or organization

Class
suit: 1d4 ⇒ 1
common deck: 1d10 ⇒ 8

Dictator: All that is wrong with government and leadership; those who rule through fear and violence

Homeland
suit: 1d4 ⇒ 3
common deck: 1d10 ⇒ 2

Philanthropist: Charity and giving on a grand scale; those who use wealth to fight evil and sickness

Dark Gift
high: 1d20 ⇒ 9

Donjon: Isolation and imprisonment; being constrained by the rigidity of one’s own thoughts or beliefs

Flaw
high: 1d20 ⇒ 4

Beast: Great rage or passion; something bestial or malevolent hiding in plain sight or lurking just below the surface

Ideal
high: 1d20 ⇒ 12

Ghost: The looming past; the return of an old enemy or the discovery of a secret buried long ago

OK, just got the 5E Ravenloft book in, going to look it over tonight to put these things into some context.

Kemephis (Jereru) - quick note, half genie is not an allowable race, but a variant human could work with Elemental Adept feat. Also, you normally do not start with a feat (only variant humans do), so Crusher is out, unless you take that as your variant human selection. Another note, Sorcerers are not Ritual Casters, so I just want you to be aware of this before you take Alarm based on that assumption.

The half-genie thing is totally made up, just an excuse for having been contacted by a genie. It's not really that my father was a genie, but rather like a sort of planetouched - there is some genie blood hidden somewhere. I took custom lineage from Tasha's, as evidenced if you click on the link in the alias. My aliases are always full of links to the rules, so as to have quick access.

The mechanics of the character are not finished, and I used a template from another one. That's why you still can see weird spells or gear - those parts are still not edited. I was working on them but my eyes were closing, so I'll finish them today.

I think Khemephis is ready to go.

Aeshuura wrote:

Kemephis (Jereru) - quick note, half genie is not an allowable race, but a variant human could work with Elemental Adept feat. Also, you normally do not start with a feat (only variant humans do), so Crusher is out, unless you take that as your variant human selection. Another note, Sorcerers are not Ritual Casters, so I just want you to be aware of this before you take Alarm based on that assumption.

The half-genie thing is totally made up, just an excuse for having been contacted by a genie. It's not really that my father was a genie, but rather like a sort of planetouched - there is some genie blood hidden somewhere. I took custom lineage from Tasha's, as evidenced if you click on the link in the alias. My aliases are always full of links to the rules, so as to have quick access.

The mechanics of the character are not finished, and I used a template from another one. That's why you still can see weird spells or gear - those parts are still not edited. I was working on them but my eyes were closing, so I'll finish them today.

I have to look in on this. In Seasonal and Historic, Custom Lineage is not legal for AL, but they are using completely different rules for Mist Hunters. I will check for an official ruling and get back to you...

Custom Lineage is not legal but playing a Mountain Dwarf with +2 Wisdom and +2 Dexterity is? Man, those DnD guys are weird...

Alright, you tell me when you find out. I'll be looking for alternatives just in case.

Apparently, I should have been a dwarf instead of a halfling then. That is some nice stats for a monk. :P

Okay, it looks like we are still subject to the Tasha's Guidance doc, sorry, your Half-Genie will not be acceptable for this campaign...

As presented earlier, you could do something similar, maybe a variant tiefling, or if you wanted to be a mummy, you could even be a Reborn from Van Richten's Guide...

Apparently, I should have been a dwarf instead of a halfling then. That is some nice stats for a monk. :P

Remember that due to Tasha's Guide's Custom Origins, you may manipulate your bonuses to land where you want them (placing the +2 to Dex and +1 to Wis, if you want, so play what race you want.) ^_^

Custom Lineage is not legal but playing a Mountain Dwarf with +2 Wisdom and +2 Dexterity is? Man, those DnD guys are weird...

Alright, you tell me when you find out. I'll be looking for alternatives just in case.

I think the reason is to keep from having characters that are wildly outside of the campaign setting... I don't know for sure, but it's their campaign. *shrug*

I see a lot of references to a PH+1 rule. Is it that rule which makes you build your character with the PHB and only one other book? Does this rule apply here?

I did not realize that, but it doesn't change anything since I took the regular stat buy.

I see a lot of references to a PH+1 rule. Is it that rule which makes you build your character with the PHB and only one other book? Does this rule apply here?

PHB +1 only applies to Season 10 right now, and is going to be removed in all future campaigns. At least, that is my current understanding.

Ok, I picked Variant Human instead.

Alright, I'm going to go with a Corrupt investigator (Background) Human hexblood from Dementlieu named Astralabius with the Gathered Wispers dark gift which manifests as whispers of possible futures (If that works) who is a Rouge.

PCs
Xune (Mishima) - tabaxi barbarian from Valachan w/ Mist Walker

Garret Goodbarrel (Malinor) - halfling monk from Barovia w/ Watchers

Kemephis (Jereru) - variant human divine soul sorcerer from Har'Akir w/ mysterious Dark Gift (will wait for everyone else to select theirs before assigning one to you.)

Astralabius (Eithand) - hexblood rogue from Dementlieu w/ Gathered Whispers

??? (Fighting Chicken)

??? (DJPika)

Heres the profile, need to add background but the mechanics are done I think!

I posted this above. I went with "Watchers" for my Dark Gift.