Before we get started, a little background. I stumbled upon Athas.org by mere coincidence, and it's by far the best stumble I've ever had. You see, I bought the revised DarkSun box set way back in the day when it was brand new. Not sure the date. Early 90s. I instantly loved it. It was new and cool, but desolate and cruel and unforgiving. It was awesome. But, then Richard Garfield tempted my RPing buddies with Magic: The Gathering, and we stopped playing D&D altogether, just in time to get -no- DarkSun RPing done. I was crestfallen.
Now, years later, turning in my character skins for the DM skins, and re-discovering Athas, with up to date rules and all, I want to run it. I want to be cruel to my players through environment and laws and all. I want to make them suffer! ...but in a good, fun way. A way in which they'll enjoy.
So, as I'm reading up and gearing up to start running my DarkSun campaign for my players, I've given them all a fun task and it's something I call: NPC-A-Week. I want them to create an NPC. Any kind. A class from the DS3 rulebook, or a Commoner, Expert or Aristocrat from the DMG. I don't care what race/class/gender/level(within reason) he/she/it is. I just want some NPCs from my players. I, too, am participating. So, by the time we start playing, we'll have 16 new NPCs to draw ideas from. So I'm asking the same from this forum, except NPC-A-Day is more fitting, because there's tons more of us here than in my group.
Enough prattle, let me get this going. Cut and Paste this template below for ease. If we use just this template it will keep things orderly for those who want to skim and lurk.
Name:
Level:
Alignment:
Gender/Race:
Age:
Region:
After this, fill in the rest as you like.
I hope this will spark some creativity and cooperation from everyone here, as this is a -great- opportunity to get yourself some free NPCs to insert into your game(s) where and when you like. At least, that's the hope and idea anyway.
My first entry coming up..
-Von
Level: Expert 5
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Gender/Race: Human
Age: 28
Region: Tyr, midway along Caravan Way, near the Golden Inix Inn
Hit Points/Hit Dice: 25, 5HD
Abilities: Strength 14, Dexterity 9 (due to an injury), Constitution 13, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 10, Charisma 17
Skills: Craft: Leatherworking(9), Craft: Boneworking(9), Craft: Stoneworking(9), Craft:Chitinworking(9), Craft: Obsidianworking(9), Appraise(9), Bluff(11), Sense Motive(8)
Feats: Endurance, Toughness
Xoxovos is a young, deeply tanned human with brilliant green eyes, a topknot of waist-length sandy-brown hair, and a muscular upper body from working leathers most of his life. His right leg is just as muscular as the rest of his body, while his left is thinner and almost odd looking its so much smaller. When Xoxovos was 14 he was outside of Tyr watching a long line of caravan wagons roll in which soon stopped at the gates for the templar to question the caravan master, and acquire his tariff. At that moment a slave managed to escape his cage(as Kalak was still alive and Sorcerer-King at this time), and one of the slavemasters took up chase on his crodlu. The slave saw and headed straight for Xoxovos, perhaps in hopes of taking him as hostage. Xoxovos turned and ran, but the lanky, long-legged elf was faster and caught up to him very quickly. The elf grabbed the young man by the swinging topknot and yanked, sending 'Xovo to his feet, but by then the slaver had gained on the elf and the poor boy was run over by the crodlu and rider while the slaver whipped the elf back into submission.
The caravan master was ordered to pay reparations, but the money never came. It likely fell into the purse of the templar handing out the justice. Since this tragedy befell him, the boy had no way to make a living, no future as he saw it. His mother was sickly and died the following year, and 'Xovo began to beg and spend his ceramics on alcohol, but not long after this, a man found and approached the drunkard claiming to be his father. Saying that 'Xovo's mother had send missive telling of his plight, and it'd taken his father this long to free up loose ends and get the funds to come to Tyr. He took the crippled teen back to Balic with him and taught him the trade of the tanner and leatherworker. He worked there with his father for 10 years until he'd finally earned enough money to move back to Tyr and open his own shop, called Maldurin's Leatherworks.
Nestled beside the Golden Inix Inn, he's seen his fair share of business and good fortune these past 3 years. And while Mila next door, the owner of the Golden Inix, doesn't need any of his leathers, Jaryx, her half-giant enforcer/odd-jobsman has purchased several odds and ends and has had repairs done here and there many times.
Xoxovos has a mark-up of 15% over the standard leather and barding prices, and will repair barding and armors for 1/5 of the total cost. At all times 'Xovo has human, dwarven, mul, elf and half-elf sized padded and standard leather armors on hand. His studded leather and chitin armors can be found usually 50% of the time. Half-giant and pterran armors are only made by request, which takes between 1 and 4 weeks, depending on back orders. And 'Kreen piecemeal shoulder-spiked pauldrons are found 25% of the time. A favorite of the insectoid gladiators. Also, Masterwork armors can be found 10-25% of the time, depending on type. 'Xovo has also created something he calls Shark Scale armor. It is actually padded armor with thousands of sewn-on claws from predatory cats bought from adventurers and merchants alike. This armor uses the standard rules for studded leather armor, but when grappled, the wearer is treated as having spiked armor, following all the standard and usual rules, except the critical is x3 because of the vicious curve of the claws. They're all sewn on facing down, and as an added feature small items, such as keys on leather thongs and other tiny articles can be hooked onto the claws and held there for later retrieval by the wearer.
The name Shark Scale is incorrect. It should be Shark Skin, but 'Xovo knows no better. He simply heard legends and myths of these deadly fish whose "scales" were smooth like silk when brushed one way, and like jagged and sharp scales the other. No one, however, has actually been able to call him on the story as of yet, and he's fond of re-telling the tale.
No one has any desire to list and read other people's created NPCs to perhaps further enhance their own game?
This is a small community of people; the DS boards. Let's make the most of it and help each other out.
I'll post another soon, in hopes that others will follow suit..
-Von
Wow. So -no one- wants to contribute to this thread, huh?
No one has any desire to list and read other people's created NPCs to perhaps further enhance their own game?
This is a small community of people; the DS boards. Let's make the most of it and help each other out.
I'll post another soon, in hopes that others will follow suit..
-Von
Wow.
Now I am not going to make this personal, but for someone who is relatively new to this board and who's one contribution so far has been a single NPC - which by the way is not fully stated for use nor in any of the two formats (new or old) for things like this, you see to be making a big fuss.
Now - before you start calling out people here, I would look at the Dark Sun Forum Archive and see the things that we HAVE done here. It is not completely up to date and there are a few things missing, but by-and-large I would say that as a community we have done quite a bit.
If you really want this thread to be something people can use, than I suggest that you put the NPC in the new stat block format so it is fully useable to people.
Plus, we do this thing called quid pro quo around here - if you want people to take interest in your threads and creations, than you should be posting messages and comments on other peoples stuff.
Like I said, I am not trying to make this personal and I hope you do not see this as a personal attack upon you - I am just making friendly conversation and a few suggestions. You can take it as you will, but I do not mean to be rude or anything.
Wow.
Now I am not going to make this personal, but for someone who is relatively new to this board and who's one contribution so far has been a single NPC - which by the way is not fully stated for use nor in any of the two formats (new or old) for things like this, you see to be making a big fuss.
Now - before you start calling out people here, I would look at the Dark Sun Forum Archive and see the things that we HAVE done here. It is not completely up to date and there are a few things missing, but by-and-large I would say that as a community we have done quite a bit.
If you really want this thread to be something people can use, than I suggest that you put the NPC in the new stat block format so it is fully useable to people.
Plus, we do this thing called quid pro quo around here - if you want people to take interest in your threads and creations, than you should be posting messages and comments on other peoples stuff.
Like I said, I am not trying to make this personal and I hope you do not see this as a personal attack upon you - I am just making friendly conversation and a few suggestions. You can take it as you will, but I do not mean to be rude or anything.
Well, first let me say that I don't believe number of posts makes anyones idea more or less credible than others. Second, the reason I put the NPC in that format was because I felt it to be easier on the eyes than the typically-used TSR version. You don't have to squint through the jumble to see what skill is what, etc.
But, if you feel players and DMs alike would respond better to that format, then sure. I'll re-post Xoxovos.
I didn't take your post as an attack, and my post wasn't meant be "making a fuss." I just feel strongly about the DarkSun setting, and I feel strongly about keeping this forum alive. I mean, I don't think if I stop posting the DS boards will dry up and blow away, but I strongly feel that a thread chock full of NPCs for anyone to lookup and print off would be awesome.
So, in closing, I apologize for seeming as though I was being fussy, but I only meant it in friendly encouragement to other creative DS fans.
-Von
Well, first let me say that I don't believe number of posts makes anyones idea more or less credible than others. Second, the reason I put the NPC in that format was because I felt it to be easier on the eyes than the typically-used TSR version. You don't have to squint through the jumble to see what skill is what, etc.
But, if you feel players and DMs alike would respond better to that format, then sure. I'll re-post Xoxovos.
I didn't take your post as an attack, and my post wasn't meant be "making a fuss." I just feel strongly about the DarkSun setting, and I feel strongly about keeping this forum alive. I mean, I don't think if I stop posting the DS boards will dry up and blow away, but I strongly feel that a thread chock full of NPCs for anyone to lookup and print off would be awesome.
So, in closing, I apologize for seeming as though I was being fussy, but I only meant it in friendly encouragement to other creative DS fans.
-Von
Cool - I was not trying to be rude, and the longer you are here on this board you will see that we are all pretty close, friendly, and all have a great love for our Dark Sun
- so glad to have you on board I do have a whole bunch of "stock" NPCs that I have done - but they are in an old format and I will be converting them over to the new stat block format. These are not major NPCs, just people you can use to throw into a battle or flesh out an encounter.
Here is an example - actually six examples. This is a stock, mid-level psion I made, with variations and different powers and such for each of the different disciplines - I will redo it soon in the new format, but this should be an interesting addition for people to use.
Psion Adept
Human psion 6; CR 6; Medium humanoid; HD 6d4+6; hp 22; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10; Base Atk +3; Grp +2; Atk/Full Atk +3 melee (1d4-1 19-20/x2, masterwork bone dagger) or +3 ranged (1d4-1/x2, obsidian-tipped darts); SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +8; AL LN; Str 8, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 12.
Skills and Feats: All – Concentration +13, Knowledge (psionics) +11 (+13 for egoists & kineticists), Craft (varies) +9, Psicraft +11 (+13 for shaper to address power stones); Egoist – Autohypnosis +11, Balance +7, Heal +10; Kineticist – Autohypnosis +11, Disable Device +6, Intimidate +10; Nomad – Climb +4, Jump +2, Ride +6, Survival +10; Seer – Gather Information +10, Listen +10, Spot +8; Shaper – Bluff +10, Disguise +11, Use Psionic Devise +6 (+8 for power stones); Telepath – Diplomacy +11, Gather Information +8, Sense Motive +9; All – Combat Manifestation, Extend Power, Imprint Stone, Iron Will, Psionic Meditation; Egosist – Force of Will; Kineticist – Split Psionic Ray; Nomad – Up the Walls; Seer – Psicrystal Affinity; Shaper – Boost Construct; Telepath – Psionic Endowment.
Powers Known (Power Points 47, DC 14 + power level):
Egoist: 1st – dissipating touch, empty mind, hammer, thicken skin, vigor; 2nd – animal affinity, biofeedback, body equilibrium, elfsight; 3rd – body adjustment, body purification, ectoplasmic form, hustle.
Kineticist: 1st – cast missile (ds), control object, deflect strike (ds), far hand, force screen; 2nd – concussion burst, energy missile, psionic levitate, thought shield; 3rd – energy bolt, energy cone, dispel psionics, telekinetic force.
Nomad: 1st – burst, deceleration, detect teleportation, float, skate; 2nd – dimension swap, energy push, psionic levitate, thought shield; 3rd – danger sense, psionic blink (ds), telekinetic thrust, time hop.
Seer: 1st – aura reading, defense precognition, destiny dissonance, energy bolt, offensive precognition; 2nd – clairvoyant sense, detect hostile intent, id insinuation, psionic locate object (ds); 3rd – fate link, mental barrier, psionic sight (ds), solicit psicrystal.
Shaper: 1st – astral construct, crystal shard, ectoprotection, empty mind, entangling ectoplasm, inertial armor; 2nd – id insinuation, psionic repair damage, swarm of crystals; 3rd – energy wall, greater concealing amorpha.
Telepath: 1st – disable, empty mind, mind link, mental thrust, missive; 2nd – calm emotions (ds), ego whip, hush (ds), mental disruption; 3rd – hostile empathic transfer, mind trap, psionic blast.
Equipment: headband of intelligence +2, 2 power stones (1st level random power), dorje (3rd level random power; ML 5, 15 changes), masterwork bone dagger, 4 obsidian tipped darts
Tactics: The discipline of the psion will dictate their actions in battle. The most common tatics will be to spend a round or two, as long as not immediate threat presents itself, using their buff powers to increase their defenses and assess the battlefield, and then target the most powerful/dangerous appearing opponent or group of creatures with their most potent attacks or area effect powers.