[5e] [Big 16] Medieval warfare themed adventure

[JNAProductions]

Well if the current list is indeed "a druid, a fighter, two rangers and possibly a paladin", I was thinking a Rogue but I think I'll have more fun with a Trickery Cleric or perhaps a bit of both.

Maybe a Rogue 2 / Cleric 3? Such a character would be a little behind on spellcasting of course but it shouldn't be too much of a problem and if we're levelling up I'd go Cleric from here on out...

I'll put them together and see how it looks.

The DM did say they only want one caster. I'd check with them how they'd consider a multiclass.

[dangelo]

just a generic comment if all the spots are not yet filled and it appears 5 applications, it could be safe to presume that each "leader/player" would or could be in charge of X # of the 300 which at the moment could be 60 each. looking at the map provided I can see spots where "scouting could render a way across, and other than by sea or around to the north the only other spot that I can see is a small pass way to the south.

I wasn't counting Lioslaith since he hadn't submitted a sheet yet, so at the time we had 4 applications for 4 spots. I don't wanna discourage players from going for their concepts while also I wanna be clear about my priorities when picking players for the game.

@gm relatable question is do the 300 soldiers need to stay together or can the players split them up and go different directions ?

We could certainly split the 300 knights evenly among all 4 PCs so each has their own retinue so to speak. But that's more roleplay flavor than actual mechanics, as in the end you are expected to hold council and make decisions together like a normal adventurer's party. For example, if at some point it becomes interesting for the PCs to split the 300 into 200/50/50, for example, that would be done regardless of how many PC#1 has, how many PC#2 has, etc etc. Am I making any sense?

Now delving more deeply into the "roleplay flavor" aspect of my answer, I'd say all 4 PCs will have the authority to lead knights into war, wherever it comes from. Whether they have the noble right to do so like Percilla, or were imbued with that authority by the king despite being a pagan druid like Luna, the troops will see them as leaders and will take their orders no matter what. These are noble knights, honor and duty means a lot to them.

I might have elaborated too much lol. Please to nudge me to the right direction if I missed your point.

Ah, see - something I never quite consciously acknowledged until I sat down and thought about it is that bows are as effective from a range of 10 feet as they are from 120. Not specializing also gives me incentive to enter melee distance and use the rapier at times. Really, I have to thank you for allowing two uncommon items - normally, this character would necessarily be leashed to concentrating on Fog Cloud, but the Eversmoking Bottle (and to a lesser extent the Nature's Mantle) frees her up for all kinds of tactics, enabled by keen hearing and the Heavily Obscured condition. She may be weak when the sun shines above her head, but by her power, she'll never let that happen.

Level 5 is already kinda low for "champion" PCs, so I figured two uncommon items would help give them some personality.

Speaking of, a discord server sounds like a good idea for organization.

What will be will be! Either way, this sounds like a fun idea, and I hope you get to run it all the way to the end.

I'm also hoping we can get a discord server for this, as it makes ooc discussions more agile in my experience, though some prefer to keep their games strictly forum-based so I try to ask first.

Well if the current list is indeed "a druid, a fighter, two rangers and possibly a paladin", I was thinking a Rogue but I think I'll have more fun with a Trickery Cleric or perhaps a bit of both.

Maybe a Rogue 2 / Cleric 3? Such a character would be a little behind on spellcasting of course but it shouldn't be too much of a problem and if we're levelling up I'd go Cleric from here on out...

I'll put them together and see how it looks.

The DM did say they only want one caster. I'd check with them how they'd consider a multiclass.

The design behind the "1 spellcaster" rule is to limit your access to 3rd level spells. Rogue 2/Cleric 3 would only give you access to 2nd level spells, like Paladin 5 or Ranger 5. So it's fine!

WIP sheet, I am sure there are errors https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2903719

Not 100% settled on the feat. Might look at inspiring leader if chosen.

Reading your Personality traits/Ideals/Bonds/Flaws and Background (Outlander), I tend to think your character would be quite familiar to Luna's druid circle, and other circles around the realm. As an Outlander Paladin I imagine your character would roam the countryside in his crusade for balance in the natural world, and since his flaw reads "I am slow to trust members of other races, tribes, and societies", I imagine his priority would be the human kingdom he was born into .

Wilhem had a good relationship with these druids, who inhabited mostly the woods in the central area of the map (though there are smaller groves scattered around hamlets that sometimes housed druids too). My question is: If a noble lord who respects nature (only plowing enough fields for their sustain, no excessive farming and woodcutting, no burning woods to make shorter roads, things like that) asked Galinmorn to fight for him in a war, would he be tempted to accept? Is there a reward this noble could offer Galinmorn that might convince him to fight a war?

I'm asking that to figure out if your character might have fought for Wilhem the Usurper in the past, back when he was still a friend to the druids. -Currently- he is kicking them out of his land, so you have plenty of motivation to fight for King Harald.

[Lioslaith]

My intent was to be sort of ancestrally obligated to fight for whomever needed him. I was assuming that was the king but yes. His obligation would extend to the kings vassals, etc.

[Flashkannon]

Level 5 is already kinda low for "champion" PCs, so I figured two uncommon items would help give them some personality.

Indeed, and it very much does. There's a few magic items that can really change a playstyle, like a Hat of Disguise, or a Broom of Flying, or even the humble Bag of Holding. When I was playing an artificer, I was even considering the power of the Bracers of Archery - beyond their usual use to match a damage bonus to the +2 to attack rolls an archer gains from the Archery fighting style, given a cooperative but unskilled humanoid of reasonable dexterity and an hour, you can simply make your own ranged support any time you please. The Cloak of the Manta Ray can change campaigns, depending on the setting. Imagine being a one-person submersible on the high seas - not just the underwater breathing, but the speed itself can have some interesting applications.

I'm also hoping we can get a discord server for this, as it makes ooc discussions more agile in my experience, though some prefer to keep their games strictly forum-based so I try to ask first.

Agreed, I've had similar experiences with the discord-based games I've run.

The design behind the "1 spellcaster" rule is to limit your access to 3rd level spells. Rogue 2/Cleric 3 would only give you access to 2nd level spells, like Paladin 5 or Ranger 5. So it's fine!

Absolutely - third level spells can really change the way the game is played, from a quick Revivify from a Cleric, or the mighty Fireball from a Warlock - especially devastating to tightly packed and not especially dextrous knights in formation. I'm partial to Plant Growth, myself - in a wooded or even grassy area, it can staple a small army in place.

[Infernally Clay]

Rolling for hit points!

Hit Points: (4d8)[1][6][7][1](15)

The average is 5, right? So 10+7+8+9+7 for 41 hit points.

[dangelo]

My intent was to be sort of ancestrally obligated to fight for whomever needed him. I was assuming that was the king but yes. His obligation would extend to the kings vassals, etc.

Looks like he runs the risk of facing valorous knights in the battlefield who once fought alongside him under Wilhem. Horrors of war!

Indeed, and it very much does. There's a few magic items that can really change a playstyle, like a Hat of Disguise, or a Broom of Flying, or even the humble Bag of Holding. When I was playing an artificer, I was even considering the power of the Bracers of Archery - beyond their usual use to match a damage bonus to the +2 to attack rolls an archer gains from the Archery fighting style, given a cooperative but unskilled humanoid of reasonable dexterity and an hour, you can simply make your own ranged support any time you please. The Cloak of the Manta Ray can change campaigns, depending on the setting. Imagine being a one-person submersible on the high seas - not just the underwater breathing, but the speed itself can have some interesting applications.

Now I wanna run a whole campaign based on Manta Ray... Or an adventurer's group in a magic carpet.

Absolutely - third level spells can really change the way the game is played, from a quick Revivify from a Cleric, or the mighty Fireball from a Warlock - especially devastating to tightly packed and not especially dextrous knights in formation. I'm partial to Plant Growth, myself - in a wooded or even grassy area, it can staple a small army in place.

Yup, and in this sorta low-magic setting, I like to think there are few magicians around, and their council is sought out by lords and ladies and kings and generals. Information about the enemy's court mage is vital. They can't just teleport to Waterdeep and hire a different wizard for different tasks :P

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Here's an updated map with each biome more clearly defined. I realize villages, mountains and rivers weren't hex-exact and that's kinda important in a hexcrawl.

Mountains are blocked, but can be explored for passages. Woods grant concealment against enemy troops. Villages can be raided and plundered for food, in case you linger too much. King Harald commanded you to kick the villagers out of their houses and send them to the town by Riverlord's Keep, which is Wilhem's capital. You're still burning his crops and breaking his economy, but there's no slaughter. This is heavy cavalry composed of dutiful noble knights.

Crossing rivers:
1. You enter the river hex normally.
2. You decide to cross, and spend 1 hex to do it.
3. You enter the next hex normally.

This is so you can march alongside a river without crossing it, as observed in the example below:

Spoiler

Show

While the real war is being fought by King Harald to the East, his majesty has sent the PCs ahead of a heavy cavalry unit by ship to create pressure on the opposite side of Wilhem's province. Those ships are still available, and can be sailed up and down the rivers. With good wind, ships will move 8 hexes per day rather than 4. Boarding the ships should cost a hex of movement.

Zoomed-out regional map for clarification:

[Flashkannon]

Looks like he runs the risk of facing valorous knights in the battlefield who once fought alongside him under Wilhem. Horrors of war!

Ah, honor demanding a fight between comrades - a compelling tragedy.

Now I wanna run a whole campaign based on Manta Ray... Or an adventurer's group in a magic carpet.

Right?? I've yet to see or directly hear of a single underwater campaign since I started playing 5e, it's a hugely untapped space.

Yup, and in this sorta low-magic setting, I like to think there are few magicians around, and their council is sought out by lords and ladies and kings and generals. Information about the enemy's court mage is vital. They can't just teleport to Waterdeep and hire a different wizard for different tasks :P

Yeah, though unfortunately the 5e lack of banned schools means as long as their spellbook is replete, most wizards can do most things proficiently.

Here's an updated map with each biome more clearly defined. I realize villages, mountains and rivers weren't hex-exact and that's kinda important in a hexcrawl.

Looks like the King's Road may have skedaddled in the remake.

Crossing rivers:
1. You enter the river hex normally.
2. You decide to cross, and spend 1 hex to do it.
3. You enter the next hex normally.

This is so you can march alongside a river without crossing it, as observed in the example below:

While the real war is being fought by King Harald to the East, his majesty has sent the PCs ahead of a heavy cavalry unit by ship to create pressure on the opposite side of Wilhem's province. Those ships are still available, and can be sailed up and down the rivers. With good wind, ships will move 8 hexes per day rather than 4. Boarding the ships should cost a hex of movement.

Zoomed-out regional map for clarification:

Ooo, good info. I'm liking this more by the moment.

[dangelo]

Looks like the King's Road may have skedaddled in the remake.

Oops, my b.

[Infernally Clay]

Here's what I have so far for Cheshire, the Rogueish Cleric.

Her being a Changeling is purely mechanical and in-game I would assume she is simply a regular ol' human who is exceptionally good at impersonating others.

Cheshire grew up without much and, like so many children in her position, she turned to a life of crime in order to survive. What set her apart from others like her, however, is the fact that she rarely ever stayed caught. One minute she's in her cell, the next she's impersonating a guard and gone out the back door before anyone even notices. Except someone did notice and when Cheshire had been caught one too many times she was brought before King Harald, who was in need of someone with Cheshire's... unique talents.

No longer needing to steal to survive, Cheshire was able to put her talents to a more fulfilling purpose and she bloomed. King Harald was right to believe she sees the world as a challenge to overcome and employed her to do just that. It was around this time that Cheshire received the blessings of Tymora, who seemed to believe Cheshire had made the right choice to use her talents to help others.

As such, Cheshire's role within the army is to gather information and sow confusion. She is to sneak into enemy encampments and fortifications, blend in, learn what she can of enemy movements and plans, edit and falsify documents to throw them off of her ally's movements and plans and get out without anyone ever knowing she was there in the first place. King Harald does not, however, ask her to assassinate people. Whether it's because he would not resort to such tactics, or because he knows Cheshire isn't a killer, is up to you.

[Lioslaith]

“Looks like he runs the risk of facing valorous knights in the battlefield who once fought alongside him under Wilhem. Horrors of war!”


I think that sounds like some outstanding opportunities for some deep role play!!!

[JNAProductions]

Dangelo, got a start date in mind?

[AvatarVecna]

(4d8)[5][7][7][1](20)

Not quite a ranger, but Brooke Xiloscient is just about ready to serve as a wilderness guide and scout for the king's forces.

[dangelo]

Hey there AvatarVecna, unfortunately we have already started the game. Sorry, I forgot to edit the thread to show it was filled. Hope you didn't spend too much time on that sheet </3 I may still PM you if we need alts tho

[AvatarVecna]

Hey there AvatarVecna, unfortunately we have already started the game. Sorry, I forgot to edit the thread to show it was filled. Hope you didn't spend too much time on that sheet </3 I may still PM you if we need alts tho

Eh maybe an hour? It's low-level, and pretty straightforward build. Best of luck!