Rob Bradley
United States
Belleville
Wisconsin
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OK this is not really a session report it is a compilation of character write-ups that we decided to write to provide some good background for our characters in order to enrich the role playing experience. The DM allowed us to start at level 2 and create a back story. Each character wrote there own background (with the exception of my son and I who wrote ours together) As you read on you will notice a variety of writing styles (and familiarity with D&D) which cover the spectrum to create this interesting read. ENJOY.
Grün Ragnarok was taking part in his clan's ritual of adolescence by venturing alone into the hills and forests north of his land. As he wandered deeper into the heavily canopied forest he heard the sounds of roaring water. The forest cleared to show the base of a large waterfall. He approached to take a drink and as he leaned over he heard the crash of rocks sliding against each other. He looked up in time to see a mass of sliding rubble coming down on him. Grün fell backward into the water and sank quickly as several rocks from the landslide pressed down on his chest. He struggled under water for what seemed like an eternity. As he finished pushing most of the rocks off him the need to breathe finally overwhelmed him and he took a gallon of water into his lungs. As he shuddered and choked he saw what looked like a giant pair of green wings coming down from the sky. He felt himself being lifted as he passed out. He awoke hours later on the bank with his feet still dangling in the water. He thought long and hard about what happened as he hiked back to his clan. He remained silent upon his return until the feast that accompanied the end of the ritual. After the meal the adolescent tells the tale of his journey. He recounted what happened and stated with certainty that a green dragon had saved his life. He was met with disbelief to say the least. No one doubted his words about the landslide, but they could not believe that he could have made anything out beneath the water, with all the mud and dust kicked up by the landslide. Surely he must have floated to the surface after have gotten out from the last of the rocks as he passed out. Besides, green dragons are not known for their generosity and kindness. Whether his clan believed him or not mattered little to Grün. He was certain, and that certainty started him down the path he knew he must follow.
Grün Ragnarok is a Lawful Neutral Dwarven Dragon Shaman who has chosen the green dragon as his dragon totem.
The young Gnome, Seifert Dungar Honst Gordas Yound Westard, was proud of his new Homunculus, (of course he couldn’t craft one on his own yet, this was a mostly his master’s work) but proud he was the same. He felt weak and his arm still hurt from the pint of blood needed to craft the thing. However, he was in awe, that his deft hands and the training he is getting at the academy could produce such wonders.
Still daydreaming about the academy and the wondrous things he hoped to create, Seifert didn’t notice the three bandits hidden in the trees next to the road. Not until the homunculus, (an Expeditious Messenger), screeched in alarm did he look up. Just then, the Homunculus, took a bolt in the chest. Due to his mental connection to the construct, Seifert was shocked so badly, not only mentally, but physically, it dropped him to his knees. He was on the verge of passing out as the three brutes strode up. Confident that this little wizened gnome was no threat.
Then a shadow appeared to his right and a fist of steel rang through the air crushing into one of the assailants. Quickly the stunned Seifert rose to his feet and lethargically listed away slumping over with his head in his hands. But as he got to the edge to the forest, he looked back and saw the construct go down, the construct that without fear for his own safety, risked his life to save his. The three bandits, having bitten off more than they bargained for, took off to lick their wounds. Seifert, couldn’t leave the construct, couldn’t let it die in the mud on this desolate forest road. He approached the machine, hoping it could be saved.
Seifert stood over the automation in disarray, never had he looked at a machine as complicated. He had seen Warforged before; but rarely and only at a distance. His Master’s clockwork gemcutter, was intricate; but nothing like this. But his tinkering nature overcame any reservations and he set to work trying to save the life of this construct. His nimble fingers and deft perceptions worked slowly at first, but gradually he got into a rhythm and his pace quickened, he used his knowledge of engineering and crafting and his innate alchemy senses to get the construct conscious and moving.
At this point, Seifert again became scared, he realized, for the first time, that this might be an out of control construct, and him being save by it was a random event. But the construct reached out its hand and thanked him.
He helped the construct to his feet and returned the “Thank you”. It was apparent the Warforged still needed repairs, and Seifert knew where he could find the tools! The construct was moving around better and they both limped back to the academy, it was late and everyone was asleep. He didn’t have permission, but he entered his master’s shop and set about using his shop and tools to finish the repairs on the warforged. Concentrating on the repairs, Seifert didn’t notice dawn approach, he didn’t notice another student gasp and run out of the room, and he didn’t notice his master enter with the academy’s master of arms.
Well, even though Seifert was expelled from the academy, he wasn’t too saddened. He will miss the lessons and working with his mentor; but, he had a feeling that him and his new friend Rogtar, would become inseparable and he knew they were going to have some great adventures together.
Introducing:
Seifert Dungar Honst Gordas Yound Westard – lvl2 Gnome Artificer
Rogtar the destroyer – lvl2 Warforged Fighter
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The doors of St. Ffraid opened. On the stairs of the Church was a Dwarven infant. A note was tied to the basket penned by a lone young woman who could no longer care for this child and asked The Church for assistance. The parents were tragically killed in a mining accident. The young woman had been charged with his care, but had heard that this parish had many Dwarven clerics and thought this would lead to a better life for the young one. So begins the life of Deval James, one of the greatest healers St. Ffraid would ever have.
Brother James, along with three soldiers, traveled from Fulmir escorting Princess Nuri the King's daughter to the Spring festival at Belogrind. Halfway to the city, they came across a damaged wagon. The soldiers began to remove the wagon from the road when five human zombies led by a mummy appeared at the edge of the nearby wood. At the mere sight of the mummy, the three soldiers became paralyzed with fear. Praying to Pelor, God of the Sun, Deval attempts to turn the undead away. Pelor must have heard Deval's prayers, as all of the five zombies started away, leaving the mummy. With a war-cry, Deval charged the mummy...
Introducing Deval James of St. Ffraid of Kingdom's Covenant Chapel. Lvl 2 Dwarven Cleric
The female halflings shattered body lay among those of her companions and a few hapless enemies...
Verna Bloombrook's father never recovered from the tragic loss of her mother. He became withdrawn and obsessively protective of his only daughter. Rejecting the wandering ways of their halfling clan, he settled down as a 'safe and sedate' potato farmer on the outskirts of town. His days were spent in the fields, evenings by the fire, and market days selling his wares to the travelers and townsfolk. And Verna was bored...
Her father never spoke of her mother's death, leaving Verna to fill the gap with wonderous imaginings of fierce battles and great adventure. While her father's stories made her mother sound calm and dedicated to family, Verna decided that her excitability and wanderlust must have come from somewhere, and she had difficulty imagining it was from her crusty-handed father. So while her father howed the fields and sold his vegetables, she snuck off into the city and met people with a more excitable nature.
She'd never forget the first day that she met her mentor, an elderly halfling rogue named Elkin. The human merchant caught her trying to lift the jade necklace from his cart, grabbed her and began to call for the constable. Elkin rushed over and explained that she was his half-wit daughter who hadn't learned to keep her hands to herself yet. While the story seemed implausable to Verna, Elkin's charm brought the merchant around. Disaster was averted.
While his hair was mostly grey, Elkin's mind and his fingers were just a nimble as ever. He taught her to observe her surroundings, identify heavy purses, disable traps, pick locks, and many of the other skills a rogue needed to excel. While he inspired her to stretch her natural abilities, he also instilled in her a heavy dose of cynicism. "The world if full of marks and people looking to take advantage of them, don't ever forget that. Tell the truth when it suits you, keep your purse strings tied tight, and lie through your teeth if it benefits", he would say.
Just when Verna was starting to think that she would never be free of the farm (and the townsfolk were starting to notice things went missing when she was around) the Caravan of Shadows rolled into town. With her natural skill and the sponsorship of Elkin, she was quickly accepted as a junior member of the guild. Although she would have to work hard to gain all of the benefits that the Caravan could provide, their wandering nature and clandestine encounters finally gave her an outlet for her energies. While her personality was ill-suited for the games of chance or the merchants wagons, the Caravan found her ability to quickly pick pockets and spot incoming law enforcement very beneficial to their business plan.
In order to advance herself in the Caravan, Verna was told that she needed to increase her thief abilities as well as her ability to defend the clan. So she headed off into the wilderness to find some companions to help her reach her goals (and maybe find a few heavy purses in need of lifting in the process)...
Introducing: Verna Bloombrook, halfling rogue and junior member of the Caravan of Shadows.
Vadoma Gilraen's parents Jal and Sadira died when she was fourteen years of age and was raised by friends. Vadoma was considered a disgrace by her parents. She is the middle child of a small family of three children who tend to avoid each other if possible. Her family came to this land from the far away land of Sihnon. Unfortunately, the family was engaged in a quarrel with one of the most esteemed families of the region. Due to her outspokenness, Vadoma has earned the hatred of the elders who use their political influence against her. As for companions, she usually works alone, joining with others when it is of mutual benefit.
Halfway through Vadoma's fourteenth year, barbarians from a neighbouring region decided that the local lands would be of use to them. Jal and Sadira joined others in their town who were determined not to allow these unworthy, uncouth invaders to sully their homes with violence and malevolence. They were not successful, and many were unceremoniously tortured and murdered by the ruthless savages. A close friend Theron was kind enough to save Vadoma by hiding her in a dark cellar that was out of sight from the town's center. Theron, in the end, gave his own life to save Vadoma during the final attacks, during which all of the elders and Vadoma's parents were singled out for their stance in attempting to repel their enemies. This is a sacrifice that she has never forgotten.
No longer wanting to live under repression of the local elders, Vadoma left her village when she was sixteen. She lived hand to mouth for a time before she fell in with a band of traveler's, one of whom, Zhu Giang, had a way with the sword. Zhu Giang was an accomplished dhervish and has mentored Vadoma in the skills of the swordsage.
Tragically, the two were separated during a skirmish with a group of cannibals, and have not seen each other since. Many years have passed, but Vadoma has never really stopped looking for her long lost, mentor, friend, sister...
Introducing Vadoma Gilraen, lvl2 Swordsage
Thrum, Drog, Harg, and Karg sat around the fire, they are the only ones left after an ambush that morning. They have been running the entire day, trying to outdistance whatever it was that killed almost a score of their Orc brethrens.
Exhausted they began to nod off when a noise brought them to their feet. From out of the woods walked a man. Weaponless with hands turned up, Rohnin walked up to the 4 Orcs.
“Throm-Ka (well met), I didn’t think you would ever stop“, exclaimed Rohnin grinning smugly.
The Orcs looked at each other. “Lat? (You) “, Thrum questioned. Rohnin nodded agreement.
Thrum was furious; this one person killed an entire band of Orcs? “Klomp, Klomp!!” (Kill, Kill), screamed Thrum. In a flash Rohnin had a sword in hand and murmured a short phrase.
After killing the 4 Orcs, Rohnin sat down beside the fire, took out a piece of paper and started to read...
WEAK, RECKLESS, HONOR-LESS...
Rohnin Tanner read those words again and again. How could he have written that, his own father? Rohnin held the expulsion letter that his father signed, it’s been more than a ten day since he left his family, and the whole town thinks he’s a failure.
It all started a year ago, when Rohnin realized he had the gift of magic or the curse as it turned out. The people of Hightold think magic users are weaker than fighters; they are for entertainment not for combat. Rohnin thought different, he knew that magic could enhance the fighter. Some day Rohnin will go back to Hightold, and show the town and his father that they were wrong.
Introducing Rohnin Tanner, lvl1 Warblade/ lvl1 Mage
EDIT: If you have read this far, please leave a comment. I have to say, that the backstory idea has helped flesh out our characters. If you are truly into the "role playing" aspect I think it is worth trying on your next campaign. Thanks.
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Eric Dodd
New Zealand
Martinborough
Wairarapa
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Great character histories. Lots of role-playing potential here. You also get a few low-level bonuses for some of the back grounds in the Character Generator, in case you need another incentive. The more back story, the better. The tricky bit is to bring it out in play, bit by bit, in a memorable fashion.
One way I have seen it done is to just start with two of the characters who are friends / related / employed (like your Artificer and Warforged) together meeting the rest of the part in small groups as you head to the scenario proper. This allows each character to shine in turn and allows the DM to concentrate on just a few players at a time, at least until everyone feels confident.
Just as in novels, "show, don't tell" is better. You wouldn't expect the entire life story from a new work mate, so bits of background coming up a piece at a time is more realistic and easier to remember.
On the other hand, if all your players can sit and listen attentively for as long as it would take to read all these outlines, and remember it, then you've probably got a great group.
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Rob Bradley
United States
Belleville
Wisconsin
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Thanks for the comments. I took the inattentive trait for the artificer, I tried to emphasize that in the story and use that in the role playing.
And we didn't have to sit and read these during the session, We were all copied on an E-mail chain and we wrote a story and responded over the coaurse of the week before our first encounter.
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Robert Gamble
United States
Buzzards Bay
Massachusetts
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This doesn't sound like D&D 3.5 to me...
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Rob Bradley
United States
Belleville
Wisconsin
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Hmmm. How so? Becasuse we are actually Role Playing?
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Robert Gamble
United States
Buzzards Bay
Massachusetts
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Just saying the session report (which is very nicely done, by the way) doesn't seem to match the game it's attached to, that's all.
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Posted Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:01 am
