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Draconic bloodline so claws or cestus. Plan to go dragon disciple and grapple everything later. Lots of base str plus rage plus enlarge. I really like that build. Dragon Disciple is one of the prestige classes I’ve always wanted to make a character around but just haven’t had the chance. If we are both chosen then I look forward to seeing how the grappling works out.
Background: Sven is a dwarf from the Langebukk Clan and is descended from Unthal Langebukk. In ages past, a series of keeps were built in the Stolen Lands by the dwarves to protect their trade routes. One such keep was Bronzeshield Fortress. Just like the Woradashes and Skjegges, Sven's clan abandoned the Stolen Lands in shame, their enterprise having failed and their coffers dry. When the dwarves left, the Shield Road fell and their fortresses were left empty and open to the desecration of others. The young dwarf grew up with tales of this folly his ancestors, who for three hundreds years had dedicated their lives to the Shield Road. It was said that a dwarf belonged in the mountains, and it was leaving which had led to ruin. Sven took the opposite lesson. A devout follower of Angradd, he believed that it was sticking to their own which had led to the shame of his clan. They had built fortresses to defend a trade road, but what had they done to bring in trade? They had tried to bring the Mountains to the Stolen Lands, rather than adapt to life there. The answer, in his mind, was in mankind. A kingdom could not be made with just dwarven hands. It required real settlement by a young and vibrant race, and actual reason for trade to flow through. And he sincerely believed that the safety of his own people required the outside world to be safe. Dangers had to be pushed back on the borders, in places just like the Stolen Lands. When such areas became safe, then so too would the more civilized lands become safe too. Danger and evil alike had to be faced head on! These ideas, of course, fell on deaf ears. His people had tried and they had failed, and if there was one thing they could not stand it was being reminded of their shame. And that is why Sven left his home. A young, hotheaded and brash dwarf, who had the desire to tame the Stolen Lands. To have the shame of his people erased, and for the world to know that the Langebukk Clan had finally succeeded. And to do that, what he needed to do was to join a new push to settle these lands. It was for this reason that he joined the expedition to settle the Stolen Lands. Cursing the stubbornness of his kin, he stubbornly went forth to prove himself right.
Grumbaki here. No background is done yet. Will say though, that I really like Thurim's background. If it comes down to me or him, then I will bow out and give him the spot. Sven's build, more or less, goes like this: Lvls 1-3: Uses a heavy spiked shield. Gets a damage spike at lvl 3 when he gets power attack and 1d6 sneak attack. Together, that is huge.
But yeah, from lvl 1+, he is a melee tank and damage dealer.
Sven strode through the park, feeling at ease. He stopped to look at the monument of the soldier on horseback, taking but a moment to mentally critique the craftsmanship. But the humans, especially the younglings, seemed happy enough. Shaking off the strange sense of deja vu, he continued on.
”Ye speak loud.” A nearby, heavily armored, dwarf said, regarding Bhornkild. ”Be ye not afraid that the servants of said vampires would overhear?”
A dwarf dragged himself into the tavern. He had a sour look on his face. He wore a suit of plate armor, despite the fact that he was in the safety of a major city. The armor was immaculate, without a single scrape, dent, or even a trace of dirt on it. On his back was a strange combination of spear and shield. A close look it revealed that the metal seemed to ‘flow’ as if though it was made out of some sort of liquid steel. Nobody looked up when he came in, proof that he was a well known sight. Plopping down on a chair which groaned under the weight he rubbed his eyes. He had slept horribly, having had a nightmare about…well…it was another nightmare. And at least it was different than the others. He didn’t call out to be served, knowing that the innkeeper would get to him.
Sounds fine to me! But can you let us dot the gameplay thread so that this shows up in my campaigns? And in the interest of sharing our “tricks” with the party: the main one for Sven is that when he hits someone he gets a free bullrush. If it succeeds then an adjacent ally (but not Sven) gets an AOO. So if you are in melee, it pays to be next to Sven. This also helps himself defensively, as he can get a full attack and push the enemy away, forcing them to move back in. Fewer attacks coming his way means less damage.
Thanks for the selection, glad to be here! Not sure which would be best for knowing or not knowing each other. Will read other backgrounds first.
That makes two of us! The crunch is just about done. As for the background...please tell me if this works for you. It is setting him up to be worthy of being Lvl 11, and for having a clear grudge against the Whispering Way. Even if ironically it should be they who should have a grudge against him. Sven's Background:
The Coppertongue Clan sent an ill-fated expedition into the cursed land of Ustalav. A prospector had discovered gold in the Hungry Mountains and had reported back the find. It was a "mountain of wealth" just waiting to be dug up. As for why it had never been touched before? Well, that much was obvious. For it was not hard to find the gold, as the mine was already there. Apparently humans had found it long ago, and the dark magic of the region kept their skeletons toiling away in the darkness. It was decided that the venture was worth the risk. A group of miners, masons and guards were sent, with the goal of secretly establishing the mine and working it to fruition in the safety of the darkness of the mountain. Their goal was to get in there, dispatch the handful of undead, and to dig the veins out to the last touch of ore. At first all went well. The dwarves descended upon the skeletons like an avalanche, shattering the minor undead miners apart with ease. Operations then began in earnest. But that was just at first. Little did the dwarves know that the mine was under the ownership of the Whispering Way, with a solitary necromancer assigned to control the undead miners so that the gold within could fund the operations of the cruel and secretive operation. The necromancer did not engage, for he knew that alone he could not overcome the dwarves. Rather, he returned to Caliphas for reinforcements. A coven of necromancers returned to the mines. Rather than tip their hand, they instead used their powers to send wave after wave of mindless undead at the dwarves. From above they came. A few at first, then more, and more...and more. Still the dwarves stubbornly held on, working the operations as best they could. The production still went well, with a literal fortune having been dug out. The problem though, was that the trickle of undead had become a flood, and it was clear that there would be no way out. Not from the surface at least. Which is why the miners eventually turned their attention away from extracting gold, and instead towards digging a new way out. What happened from there was a war of attrition, a race to see whether the dwarves could get out before their supplies ran out, and before they were overrun. In this, Sven was one of the guards who had been sent to safeguard the miners. He and his kin were "shieldbearers." Heavy infantry trained to work in tandem with each other. Each had a weapon which was a combination of shield and spear. Any enemy who came to them would be met by a wall of spears, and each dwarf was trained to use their weapons to push back the enemy, forcing them to fall back into their own ranks and to be opened up to the spears of their comrades. Against the waves of undead which came at them, it was quite effective. The problem, though, was that these weapons used by the Clan were better for offense than defense, as their fighting style dedicated taking ground and holding it by forcing the enemy back rather than using the shields to cover the dwarf beside them. One by one the dwarves took losses. Losses that they could not replace. But the undead could. This went on until the way out was complete. The last issue was getting out with the gold. And they had dug out enough that it was not an easy prospect. The Shieldbearers, those that were left, were the rearguard, while the miners got the gold away to safety. The plan was to collapse the tunnels behind them, so that they might flee without pursuit. It was a horrific night of fighting in the dark, as the Whispering Way's necromancers sent their hordes against them. In the end, though, it was a near perfect success. The gold had been extracted, the miners had gotten out, and most of the Shieldbearers managed to fall back. The key word was most. Sven found himself on the wrong side of the cave-in. When the dust settled, his thick armor and thick skull had protected him from the worst of the falling rocks, something which could not be said for the many zombies and skeletons that he and his kin had been fighting. But there was only one way out for him and his kin. Through the undead. With no other way out, the dwarven veterans threw themselves forward with such ferocity that it took the necromancers off guard. The few dwarves who made it under the light of the moon found, for the first time, the faces of those who had oppressed them. Filled with desperation and rage they continued to surge forward, tired beyond belief. This assault was not a success. Exhausted from day after day of constant fighting, followed by the battle they had just been in, the dwarves could not stand up to the arcane assault from an entire coven of necromancers. Of the Shieldbearers, only Sven managed to survive the battle, having tumbled off the edge of a hill when an intelligent ghoul leapt upon him. Looking up, all he could see and hear was the undead horde, as the last battlecries of his kinsmen died away. There was little he could do but flee, and pray that others had survived. Bruised, battered, bleeding and exhausted, he made his way to Caliphas. The dwarf slowly recovered, relying on what gold he had to support himself. While his body healed, his mind did not. The trauma of what he had experienced haunted him. As did the fate of his brother, a fellow Shieldbearer who had died before him, in the depths of the mines. It was in this state that he found his faith, dedicating himself to Magrim, the dwarven god of death and foe to the undead. It was in prayers to this stern deity that he beseeched the God to watch over his brother's soul, and in which he put himself on the path towards seeking vengeance against the unnatural forces which had killed his family. Having found a measure of peace, he was left with a choice of what to do next. Granted, the smart thing would be to return home, to his Clan. To ensure that they had gotten back safely and to report that he was alive. But he couldn't do so. For the many months spent recuperating had given him time to think. And with his grief under control came clarity. Clarity in that the necromancers they had encountered were a group, who were organized, patient and skilled. Moreso, none acted as if though they were in charge. It was clear to him that they were part of a larger organization. And his investigations, such as they were, came back with the name the "Whispering Way", along with the warnings to stop looking any further. For his own safety. That, and something was preying upon the ancient vampire clans of Ustalav's capital. Sven decided that he could not leave. Not yet. There was a mystery here. Someone had killed his brother. Murdered his kin. They had nearly killed him. He wanted to know for certain who they were, what they were doing, and how he could enact a measure of revenge upon them. A few things from doing the crunch. * Against undead he is at +27/+19/+14 and does 2d6+30 damage
And that should just about do it. Might play around with the archetype. But I think that this is pretty solid. Still need to do skills, but will get around to it.
Race: Dwarf
Traits:
Classes:
Heavy armor with Ranger abilities that also gives touch ac
Feats designed so when he hits people it causes free bull rush, which if it works provokes AOO from every ally besides himself.
So if there is an undead problem? Then he is the dwarf for the job! Can get the rest up later. But overall someone who will be very tanky
I’m afraid that I’ll be bowing out as well. While I enjoyed the setting, scenario and combat, I don’t think that this is the kind of vibe that suits me. While this is only the second game I’ve stepped away from, I think that it would be best for everyone involved to have a player who fits better. Sorry if that isn’t as eloquent as I would have liked. For Sven, he will personally take Rei’s body back to their homeland, making this a good exit for him. Thank you, and wish you all the best.
Ha! Loved the part on biting the mummy first. :) Actually loved all of it. Great backstory
Sven shook his head and laughed bitterly. "If ye say so. Fook it. Ye can report it to him, ask him if ye like. I'll see to gettin' me kinswoman sent back home while yer at it."
Here’s my issue. Resurrection costs 10,000 gold. So Gov, Rein and Stayven is 30k and a lvl13+ Cleric. That’s a lot of money for some mercenaries in a border fort. Is resurrection common here? Because seeking for a way to bring them back just doesn’t seem like something he’d think of. I don’t think that Sven even has any reason to believe that there are any sufficiently high level clerics around who could do it given how rare lvl10+ people there are. So from an IC point of view, I don’t see why Sven would go looking for a way to raise the money and find a person capable of bringing the three back, especially as he just met them a few days ago and the Fort has so much more work to be done. IC he’d be much more likely to either give them proper burials or arrange for their bodies to be sent to their hometown, as he’d do with Rei (they’re from the same city). I know that you keep saying OOC to ask IC, but I feel that something is needed IC for that to be reached.
Sven stared at Stayven, pure relief coming over his face. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He turned to his new companions and yelled "He's alive! Torag's blessed hammer, he's alive!" Without thinking he put his hand on the man and allowed more arcane power to flow. The mixture of guilt and relief was a potent combination that robbed him of the ability to think straight.
"Aye. Aye lad, on yer feet. Let's get ye out of here. Wouldn't leave ye to their mercies..." He trailed off as he saw the others taking down Rei's body, at a loss for words. He resolved to make sure that her body and possessions were sent back to her Clan for a proper dwarven burial.
Sven took off a gauntlet and held up his hand, showing a simple platinum band. "Magical. It'll rest me up right quick. Me armor will clean itself as well. I'll meet ye back here in two hours, which should be enough time for the scouts to get ready." The dwarf said, already starting to walk off towards the barracks. -----------------
...the group was once more riding through the darkness. It wasn't something that Sven was quite familiar with, for he never thought that he would find himself riding a horse. And yet it was becoming a more and more common experience. While he was physically rested, in his mind all he could think about was how much time had been 'wasted' in riding back and forth. He even cursed himself for the two hours he had taken to recuperate. The inner curses became a muttered one when he saw the tree that was before the fey kingdom's entrance. Two bodies hung from it. One was that of Rei and the other Stayven. The human hung from his arms anad the dwarf from her feet. There was blood on the ground beneath them. Kicking his horse to go faster, Sven charged forward without even thinking about the possibility of an ambush. In this, he was exceedingly fortunate, for no fey attackers came out of the darkness. Going straight for Stayven, the dwarf pulled the man down. The man's body was covered in wounds, many of them fresh. Without wasting any time he said the words to activate the runes in his gauntlet...
Sven responded by banging his fist to his chest in a salute. "Give me two hours to rest and I'll go with the scouts. I left a man behind there, and with yer leave I'd see either him or his body returned." He hoped that he would be given permission to do so, but understood that if did not receive it then there was no point arguing. The man had command of the fort and he was honor-bound to follow lawful orders. Still, he hoped that he would be given permission to recover Stayven.
Sven kept a stoic face. He had just ridden through the night right after a harrowing battle. All he could think of was a bath and a warm bed. But at the end of the day he was a dwarf, and he would not shame his ancestors by showing weakness like a human child. "How many owlbears? Are they native to the region? Is there coordination behind their attacks? Are they eating the dead or leaving them there? What sort of druidic presence is here? Are there any fey sightings along with the owlbears?" He asked, listing off the questions with one finger added for each one. "In short, do we think that these are natural attacks, or are we looking at another hostile power. Also, I'll need a new team. If Stayton lives and the scouts can retrieve him, then he is of proven quality. With Rei and Gov both fallen, I would request...Tanu and Portia. Tanu is a Veteran and Portia is a graduate of the Acadamae. Both would be useful in dealing with the owlbears."
Sven looked at the commander wearily. He took a deep breath and then reported "We investigated as ordered and found evidence that yer men were killed by fey attackers. We made contact with the local fey and were taken to their lair to meet with their king. There, the king admitted to the murders and gleefully made threats towards our safety lest we provide tribute. A battle broke out. Gov and Reilarri died, and Stayven...he fell. I didn't know that Gov was dead when I carried him out, either that or he died before I could reach the surface. Only Cyla and I made it out. Ah, but the important part. Their king is dead, I killed him with me own hammer." He took a moment to compose himself, the sheer amount of thoughts swirling in his head was making it difficult to put together a proper narrative. "So their king is dead and it isn't clear what their next move would be. I would ask for some riders to come with me to go back to their den. Stayven may well yet live, and I fear that these dark fey will torture the lad. That, and they may well yet continue their war against ye. It would be good to get eyes on them to see if they are marshalling their forces for reprisal against us. While I hear that there are more tasks to be done, I think it wise to ensure that this war be done first." He finished, recognizing that there was more work to be done, but still not wanting to abandon him comrade to a tortuous death.
Sven shook his head. ”Sven. Shieldbearer. He was Gov, and was a good lad. We’ll see about bringing him back, but that assumes there is someone here powerful enough and rich enough. Could buy everything I own and then some for that cost. And a mercenary’s life is rarely as valuable.” He finished sadly. He saw her as a child, and the sooner she realized that this wasn’t a game and that death was a real possibility the better. He didn’t need a third life weighing on his conscience.
Sven nodded and then turned to Tanu. "Right. Let's go then." Not wanting to spend too much time stomping around looking for the man, he was glad for the stranger to act as a guide.
Sven nodded as he removed his helmet. "The two of us are. Luckily I have the ability to heal. Though not to revive. He'll need a funeral." He motioned to Gov's body. "But for right now I just need ye to take me to Tolgrith." He said, in a calm and measured tone. He recognized that this was not a situation that yelling would help with, and more than that he just didn't have it in him.
I've never had much luck with discord, and I check all of my campaigns on this forum. I'm afraid that adding a discord server wouldn't do much for me.
With a *thud* Sven came off the horse. First one leg, then the other, and then the entire armored dwarf. With a weariness that felt like it grew heavier by the moment, he said "Need to speak with Gyrad Tolgrith. The fey king was in an undeclared war with us and is dead at our hands. Need to speak with him, now, for the safety of the Fort." He did what he could to portray both confidence and urgency in equal measures in his voice, as the last thing he wanted as for the guards to delay them with unnecessary questions.
That’s a combination I’ve always meant to try out. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
I like the idea of having us ride out and finding Stayven being hung out with Rei’s body. With him being on the cusp of death, as the Fey weren’t willing to give him a quick one. It feels darker, and given our level is much cheaper than resurrection.
As Cyla rode, Sven healed her. His runic gauntlets glowed blue in the night as they went to work again and again. When the two arrived they were bloody but physically whole. Mentally? That was a different matter. Stayven’s death weighed heavily on his mind as they finally made it back to safety...
Deadly! Will get a post up when I can. Been awhile since had the feeling of a party that had a pyrrhic victory and is beaten down so much.
Cyla had already fled. Stayven was alive. Rei was dead. He couldn’t tell about Gov. And it was clear that he could only save one. It was a horrific situation to be in, but Sven didn’t have time to think it through. The air was thick with arrows and if he hesitated then he would be dead too. Feeling like Shyt he decided that he only had one choice. With Gov flung over one shoulder, Sven let his power flow into the runes on his armor and he fled....
I don’t think that Sven can lift both due to weight. Even with Str20, carrying 2 adults and wearing plate? Can’t see him moving like that. Sadly, with both comrades down I think that the only logical thing to do is get Gov out. It’s better to get out with one than to have everyone die going for 2. While Gov is dead, Sven doesn’t know it. It’s the worst outcome besides TPK, but I don’t see any other way out. Anyone else have an insight?
Time to bounce! Once Sven has Gov he will be withdrawing with 50ft movement speed due to sudden speed.
Seeing Gov go down, Sven let out a curse. ”Time to go.” He said in a loud voice. Not knowing if his comrades was dead, and putting words into action he moved over to Gov, picked up the body.
I realize now that Sven should have went in the other direction. But I rushed, and it makes sense for mistakes to be made. If need be he can go +30ft as a swift action so no big deal. Also, welcome to the new victims!
Unable to find the time to activate his runes, Sven spun on his heel and charged one of the archers that was in a corner. Going at full speed he didn’t even bother swinging, and instead used his momentum and weight to just slam the fey into the wall!
Ah, my mistake! My apologies. In that case we are back in initiative then? Because Sven would certainly go pure hostile/kill them all at that point. Starting with the king if Sven knows he is alive, as the king is a spellcaster/is evil/is in charge. Is a check needed for that? I mean, if a channel hits him and he opens his eyes/gasps/etc, it should be pretty clear?
I’m confused. The king was at my feet. He killed Rei, right? Which means that he’d need to get up, move to her and attack. Thus I thought that I’d get an AOO for that... If I’m wrong in this and just got confused then Sven won’t attack. He’s only attacking if it is clear that the king is alive and that hostilities have commenced. If both conditions aren’t meant then he won’t attack the king. But if both are met then he is killing the guy.
Sven had laid out the terms of parlay, but then the king began to rise. With a look of utter hatred Sven swung his hammer, for his grudge was with the king. His terms of parlay were purely for whomever the successor was. He would not negotiate over anything but the king’s body.
I think that it would be fair here to say that untrained heal checks should be allowed to see if someone is dead. And for Gov, 1 skill point gives +8. That’s solid right there. A masterwork tool would make it +10 (something to listen for a heartbeat?). That should be all that’s needed going forward. And for when failed, I think that defaulting to “if I can’t tell if someone is dead I will heal them” is a legitimate tactic. It could save a life and it could waste resources. So there is a give and take.
Seeing the Fey murder his kinswoman, Sven’s face darkened. The time for words was over. He was going to kill every last one of them, because now it was personal.
”We came only due to the crimes committed by this one here.” Sven said in a booming voice. ”Who then, is the new king? We would parlay and have peace with whomever has the authority and power.”
With the fey king committing to the fight, Sven turned on his heal and swung his Toragian-Hammer at the monarch. The runes flashed bright as the weapon was swung through the air. A mixture of hatred and arcane power caused the blows to land especially strong, each one promising destruction should it connect.
”I’ll dance on yer graves.” The dwarf growled at the Fey, making clear exactly what he thought of their offer.
”Go fook yerself in the ear!” Sven roared as he tried to rip himself free so as to get to the Fey King.
Portia, you have a good memory! That campaign was about 2 years ago? Had alot of potential, it's really too bad that it didn't go longer. Afraid that I haven't had the pleasure of going to PiazoCon, but regardless, looking forward to this one!
Welcome! Luckily Sven doesn't quite care about what gods other people worship or where their loyalties lie, so long as it doesn't interfere with him, his clan, or his home. And from the sounds of it, Portia won't mess up any of those three. So she's good in his book! Glad to have you here. I'm from US as well, live near DC.
Sven once more struggled to break free, but in vain. It appeared that the fey's magic was too powerful for him to overcome, and all the dwarf could do was curse ineffectively at the cowards for refusing to get within arm's reach.
Sorry! Yeah...movement. Well, he failed to move with that 2. :p
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