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Original character art by Jimmy McClure.
Music by Kevin MacLeod.
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Starring:
Gotwald Ironhorn, level 2 minotaur Fighter
Mac, level 2 tortle Ranger
Savra Akkedis, level 2 lizardfolk School of Necromancy Wizard
Torrel, level 2 kenku Fathomless Warlock

Meet our new characters for our upcoming nautical campaign, which combines Call from the Deep with Ghosts of Saltmarsh!

We have a few important house rules when it comes to character creation:

  • Players may roll for stats, but if the total result is less than the average (72) they may choose to take the standard array.
  • Officially published 5e material is generally allowed, with exceptions to worlds outside of Faerun (such as Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica), though exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis.
  • All the new features from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything can be used (such as bonus stat allocation).
  • Instead of alignments, traits, bonds, etc, players should come up with five descriptive adjectives.
  • Every player should select (or randomly roll) a quirk from my custom d100 table (available for Silver+ patrons).
  • Every PC gets one free feat at level 1, to further define and specialize their character.
  • Every player should come up with an NPC name or concept that their PC has important ties to.
  • Having a secret that only the DM knows is entirely optional
  • All PCs start at level 2, because level 1 is bullshit!

Also, for the first time in Session 0 we collectively crafted a “how did you all meet” story, and a reason for their alliance that brings them to the opening of Session 1.

Note: OC art is still being developed, and will be unveiled during Session 1 (and retroactively added here!).

Gotwald Ironhorn

Player: Chris
Race: Minotaur
Class: Fighter
Background: Shipwright

STR: 18
DEX: 10
CON: 16
INT: 10
WIS: 10
CHA: 10

Free feat: Tavern Brawler

Concept: An experienced sailor and shipwright who loves a good fight (and solves problems with violence), but is never overly cruel or sadistic. He eschews weapons in favor of his beefy fists. His history of being enslaved and betrayed leaves him to help others in need, and with a chip on his shoulder toward pirates.

Quirk: Eager to fight and solve problems with violence.

Adjectives: Pugilistic, Boisterous, Protective, Reckless, Jovial

DM Notes: A weapon-less Fighter is a rare concept! This party desperately needs a frontline, and Gotwald is it. His background is super-relevant to the campaign, though ironically he’s the only one of the party without some kind of water-breathing ability.
Fun fact: Chris actually chose to use his rolled stats even though they’re slightly less than average (not including his racial stat boosts and feat increase).

Machiavelli “Mac”

Player: Raymond
Race: Tortle
Class: Ranger
Background: City Watch (Investigator)

STR: 14
DEX: 18
CON: 15
INT: 12
WIS: 12
CHA: 13

Free feat: Sharpshooter

Concept: Another teenage mutant ninja tortle emerges, George’s brother, Mac! Mac is a street-savvy urban Ranger, who carved out a successful career working for the Neverwinter City Watch, before being called to adventure by his big brother.

Quirk: Swears vengeance on every foe.

Adjectives: Focused, Loyal, Truthful, Gullible, Glutton

DM Notes: Raymond is playing two things he’s played before, Tortle and Ranger! He loved using the Bag of Tricks in our previous campaign, and he’s eager to play a pet subclass with Ranger. With tons of HP, DEX, and nasty range attacks (and near record-breaking stat rolls!), he’s sure to be a thorn in my side.

Savra Akkedis

Player: Heather
Race: Lizardfolk
Class: Wizard (School of Necromancy)
Background: Haunted One (Dark Star)

STR: 10
DEX: 15
CON: 13
INT: 18
WIS: 13
CHA: 11

Free feat: War Caster

Concept: Savra is the black sheep (black lizard?) of her spellcasting family. A pretentious goth who’s obsessed with death. She traveled to Neverwinter to further her career (she wants to go lich some day), and ends up falling in with this crowd of adventurers.

Quirk: Superstitious

Adjectives: Pretentious, Sharp, Cunning, Devious, Dark

DM Notes: The lizard wizard! Heather loved this idea from one of her one-shot PCs, and wanted to expand her into a full-length campaign. We haven’t seen a Wizard PC since Talus way back in Princes of the Apocalypse, and I’m excited (and terrified) to see how she handles all these spells at her disposal!

Torrel

Player: Reese
Race: Kenku
Class: Warlock (The Fathomless)
Background: Fisher

STR: 10
DEX: 14
CON: 15
INT: 10
WIS: 12
CHA: 15

Free feat: Resilient (CON)

Concept: Inspired by the Corvid Conspiracy from Root, Torrel was a simple fisher when a terrible storm nearly wiped out his village. Torrel was protected by an amulet given to him by his brother, who worshipped the sea. Torrel became a born-again evangelist, gaining magic powers, including the ability to properly speak! Which he uses to constantly talk about The Fathomless.

Quirk: Religious zealot

Adjectives: Evangelistic, outgoing, talkative

DM Notes: Well, it doesn’t get much more relevant for this campaign than a Warlock who’s powered by a mysterious deep sea entity! Hell yeah! Tons of great opportunities I can use here. He also has the most water-powered features, with full water-breathing and swim speed.

They Meet in a Tavern

In a Session 0 first, we collectively created the meet-cute for our party, and their opening level 1 mission.

Like most D&D tales, it all started in a tavern, in the Sword Coast city of Neverwinter. A fight breaks out, one in which Savra probably started, but Gotwald is eager to finish. 

As an on-duty guard who happened to be there (and probably assigned to typically deal with the more…exotic races), Mac breaks up the fight, even while Torrel continues to try and preach his creepy tentacle god to every patron.

A mob forms around the monstrous humanoids, and the party is forced to combine their skills to defend themselves.

They escape, and each find a mysterious note in their pockets.

The unsigned messages gives them a task: to investigate a growing criminal ring near the docks, and includes some advance payment.

The party tracks down the young wanna-be gangsters, easily scaring them from a life of crime.

Level up!

They’re contacted again via a dead drop site the next day. The new message includes more payment, and a more meaningful task: to investigate reports of a haunted house in the nearby small port town of Saltmarsh.

Without knowing their newfound benefactor, but finding strength and comradery in each other, this ragtag group sets out on a new adventure.

MVPC: N/A

Live post-session discussion: N/A

Live streamed and uploaded every week on YouTube. Join us live on Fridays at 7:30 pm Pacific/10:30 pm Eastern!

Support my channel via Patreon!