I would like to welcome you for making it to the game! If you can ready this, you have been accepted. We will be spending the time between now and the New Year building on what you have all added to this fascinating world. In fact, some of you have added to each other already without knowing it!

That said, we will be building characters according to the PHB. Specifics are outlined below and the character sheets will remain open for editing until we are done. After that time, I will close them for editing.

This thread is open, so I would like each of you to post the addition that I requested you make of this world. I would like everybody to have the same pool to draw from and maybe even tweak your concept to fit with some of the new information. I will also be adding an idea thread for any further thoughts you have about the world.

We will be using standard array.

15,14,13,12,10,8

Caveat: You can risk fate and roll 4d6, dropping the lowest for each ability. However, you will have to keep what you roll, good or bad.

Again, congrats for making the final cut! i look forward to explore your stories!
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:16, Thu 22 Dec 2016.

Character Name:
Class & Level :                Background:                Player Name:
Race          :                Alignment :                EXP Points :

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ability Scores       Saving Throws            Abilities:

Str   :             |x| Strength              | |Acrobatics     | |Medicine
Dex   :             |X| Dexterity             | |Animal Handling| |Nature
Con   :             | | Constitution          | |Arcana         | |Perception
Int   :             | | Intelligence          | |Athletics      | |Performance
Wis   :             | | Wisdom                | |Deception      | |Persuasion
Cha   :             | | Charisma              | |History        | |Religion
                                              | |Insight        | |Sleight of Hand
Passive Wisdom:     | |                       | |Intimidation   | |Stealth
(Perception)                                  | |Investigation  | |Survival

Languages:                                    Other Proficiencies:




----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Armor Class:                 Initiative:                Speed  :



Max HP:                      Current HP:                Temp HP:


Hit Dice                     Death Saves
                             Successes: | |  | |  | |
                             Failures   | |  | |  | |
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Attack                        Attack Bonus               Damage Type
Weapon:                         | |                      | |
Weapon:                         | |                      | |
Weapon:                         | |                      | |



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spells:







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Features/Traits







--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Money:
CP
SP
EP
GP
PP
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Equipment:       Weight         Description         Cost







                                                    Total Cost:
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Personality Traits




Ideals




Bonds



Flaws



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Physical Description:


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Personality:




Background:

So, my character, Griswold Ortmann is a dex-based melee fighter.  He is a half elf, with links to both the Krieghold nobility and the Elves of Silver Forest.  As a knight in training, the GM and I have been discussing the role of knightly orders in the Krieghold Empire.  We currently have this:

The Krieghold Empire's military is based around its knightly orders, of which there are many.  Each order has a senior member that is part of the Knights Council. They are the governing body for all the knightly orders and are givers of quests. They are also the closest thing that Krieghold has to a military generalship. In times of true war, each of the knightly orders acts as a unit of heavy cavalry. The council determines who gets what battles, as to spread the glory and experience. Only the council can command the knights to war, when they are in turn commanded by the Emperor alone. They also deem a knight errant worthy of full knighthood.

A Knight needs to be as inspirational as s/he is forceful.  They need to adhere to a code of conduct that holds them above the rank and file troops.  To that end, every squire must undertake a quest before being knighted.  During this trial, they are dispatched into the world, where they are expected to achieve something notably heroic whilst adhering to the knightly tenants.  For this purpose, they are given a medallion that they must wear and display at all times.  The medallion lets the people of Krieghold know who the squire is and what s/he is doing. From it they know to report his/her behaviour, good or bad, back to the Knightly Orders.

We are currently working on who the different knightly orders actually are and their respective roles in the Krieghold Empire.  We know is that in this world knight means the medieval ideal, not the symbolic title that it is today. We also know that the each order is dedicated to its own ideas and/or oaths. That at least one, if not all, serve as 'witch hunters' (for lack of a better description).

We are not yet sure whether a Knight is trained for a specific order, or if they are assigned based on individual skills and personalities.  There is also the question of what happens to squires that fail their trial, or die during it.  One suggestion is that there is an order of knights specifically dedicated to the recovery of lost medallions.

Some early suggestions were:

Knights of the Spear - Battle commanders for military forces
Knights of the Coin - those whose duty it is to recover lost medallions
Knights of the Lotus - Personal Guard to Nobles and the like
Knights of the Wing - Mentally strong Messengers trusted with the most vital correspondence
Knights of the Hearth - Defenders of the common people
Knight/s of the Crown - The Emperor or their right and left-hands

Happy to receive input!

Below is my draft character sheet.  Again, happy to hear any suggestions on it. I will update the background etc if necessary as developments arise.

Character Name: Griswold Ortmann
Class & Level : Fighter lvl 1     Background: Squire         Player Name: Craig
Race          : Half (Silver) Elf Alignment : Chaotic Good   EXP Points : 0

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Ability Scores       Saving Throws            Abilities:

Str   : 10            |x| Strength            |x|Acrobatics     | |Medicine
Dex   : 16 (15+1)     | | Dexterity           |x|Animal Handling| |Nature
Con   : 14            |x| Constitution        | |Arcana         | |Perception
Int   : 14 (13+1)     | | Intelligence        |x|Athletics      |x|Performance
Wis   : 08            | | Wisdom              | |Deception      |x|Persuasion
Cha   : 14 (12+2)     | | Charisma            |x|History        | |Religion
                                              | |Insight        | |Sleight of Hand
Passive Wisdom:     |9|                       | |Intimidation   | |Stealth
(Perception)                                  | |Investigation  | |Survival

Languages: Common, Elvish, Sylvan

Other Proficiencies: All Armour, Shields, Lute, Dragonchess Set, Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons

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Armor Class: 19              Initiative: +3             Speed  : 30ft



Max HP: 12                   Current HP: 12             Temp HP: 0


Hit Dice 1d10                Death Saves
                             Successes: | |  | |  | |
                             Failures   | |  | |  | |
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Attack                        Attack Bonus               Damage Type
Weapon: Rapier                  |+5|                      |Piercing|
Weapon: Light Crossbow          |+5|                      |Piercing|
Weapon:                         | |                      | |



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spells:







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Features/Traits
Squire Background: Quest
Darkvision: 60ft
Fey Ancestry
Skill Versatility
Extra Language
Fighting Style: Defense

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Money:
CP
SP
EP
GP 08
PP
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Equipment:       Weight         Description         Cost
Chain Mail        55.0             Armour            75gp
Shield             6.0             Armour            10gp
Rapier             2.0       Finesse Melee Weapon    25gp
Light Crossbow     5.0      Ranged Weapon, Loading   25gp
Bolts (20)         1.5      Crossbow Ammunition       1gp
Explorer's Pack:                                     10gp
Backpack           5.0*            Gear               -
Bedroll            7.0*            Gear               -
Mess Kit           1.0*            Gear               -
Tinderbox          1.0*            Gear               -
Torches (10)      10.0*            Gear               -
Rations (10)      20.0*            Gear               -
Waterskin          5.0*            Gear               -
Hempen Rope       10.0*            Gear               -
Riding Horse        -              Mount             75gp
Saddle            25.0*            Gear              10gp
Saddlebags         8.0*            Gear               4gp
Tent              20.0*            Gear               2gp

Carry: 69.5/150.0                                   Total Cost: 146gp
Horse (unridden): 112/480.0
Horse (ridden): 324.5/480.0
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Personality Trait
My eloquent flattery makes everyone I talk to feel like the most wonderful and important person in the world

Ideals
Chivalry. I respect the knightly code of conduct of bravery, honesty, generosity, and defending the weak. (Good)

Bonds
The common folk must see me as a hero of the people*

Flaws
I easily fall for any attractive princess that I see, regardless of any rules or tradition.

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Physical Description:
6 foot tall, 143lb, lithe, long lustrous golden hair, pail skin, gleaming green eyes and a winning smile.  Dressed and armoured in the apparel of the knightly orders.  Wears a medallion, recognised throughout the Krieghold Empire as the symbol of a Squire on his Knight's Quest.

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Personality:
Cheerful, easy with a compliment and often carefree.  Helpful and protective of others.  Likes to show off.  Fights with flair.

Background:
Griswold is a bastard who's heritage is both noble and exotic.  His father is a Highborn of no small import from the Krieghood Empire, whilst his mother is an unknown Silver Elf. The embarrassing byproduct of their affair, Griswold was sent away to live with a lesser relative of the noble's family.

His foster father did not know what to do with the child.  For a while he coddled the boy as a son of his own.  However, the boy knew his real heritage and, desiring to know more about his mother, rebelled.  As the lad grew ever more cheeky and impetuous, the noble soon gave up trying to control him. Thus Griswold spent half his youth in schooling and half escaping to the town outside.  He existed between worlds - both high and low.  Learning to enjoy freedom without responsibility, until something had to be done with him.

Griswold was handed over to the Knightly Orders for training.  The boy had always shown promise with a sword and delighted in romanticised tales of their heroism, so was excited by the prospect.  However, the strict training came as a severe shock.  His carefree nature an ever present source of conflict between him and his tutor, led to beatings and a love-hate relationship with the knightly orders.  Sometimes aspiring to join their illustrious ranks and sometimes dreaming of a free life with his mother in the Silver Forest.

Ultimately training and conditioning seemed to prevail.  The boy became a man, with the Knightly code of conduct hammered into him and his attitude beaten out.  Finally deemed worthy of testing, he was given a questing squire's medallion and sent out on his Trial of Knighthood. However, alone again, it wasn't long before his old self began to resurface.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:49, Wed 28 Dec 2016.

Interesting backstory, and interesting 'group' you're introducing to Arathia!
I think you've got most of it done already, but here are some suggestions anyways.

From the description I can imagine that during war or difficult missions, a group will be assembled using members from every Knights order. Making Knights from the different orders familiar with each other (they know what to expect, and on which strengths they can rely). Do you see the Knight orders as specialists within the military ranks, or more as bodies that also command a (large) amount of normal soldiers? The Knights of the Spear could have many normal soldiers, while the Knights of the Wing not so many. The Knights of the Crown could have no normal soldiers at all, being fully composed of elite members serving as the Emperor's personal guards.

About the Knight orders: the Knights of the Coin seem like they don't have much to do. You could give them additional roles, such as taking care/retrieving the dead, and as battle-field medics. They could be called Knights of the Raven or something then.

About a potential knight joining a specific order, I imagine it could go two ways. Either by application of a soldier to a specific order, or by a specific order asking a soldier to become knight. Sort of like job applications. Both the order and the potential knight have to be comfortable with it. If later in life a knight realizes he's not fitting in his current order, he could apply for a different one.

This is just what I noticed at first glance. Do with it what you want :)
I'll put up some of my background soon.

Kharash is a dragonborn. Simply because of his appearance people can be afraid of him. Most people have never seen an actual dragonborn (they probably have heard about them), as they are very rare. Dragonborn are not necessarily related to their chromatic/metallic color, though traits from that bloodline may shine through. Normal people, however, wouldn't make that connection as dragons themselves are believed to be non-existent. They are creatures of legend. They are common in stories and mighty tales, but no one has actually seen one. A few individuals may say they have met a dragon, but this is extremely rare. Most people that make these claims are seen as crazy by the general populace. The only thing that hints to the existence of dragons are ancient ruins, old scripts and drawings, and of course the dragonborn themselves.

Kharash is also a paladin, and a Watcher belonging to the Eyes of Yggdrasil.

The Eyes of Yggdrasil's role may be similar in a certain way to Krieghold's military (protecting the weak, fighting the evil), but they are an organization completely separated from the state. They act independently to achieve their goals. The fact that Kharash is both dragonborn and a Watcher gives mixed feelings to those he encounters. Being both a creature that people might fear, and a member of a respected organization that people know and trust. This does enable him to reach out to people, who would normally avoid him based on his appearance.

As a paladin, he will be on the front line. Fighting with (probably) shield and sword. He will have high strength and charisma, and moderate constitution scores. Proficiencies in athletics, insight, intimidation and persuasion.

Alternatively he could go for a two-handed fighting style. But this depends a bit on what the other people will focus on.

Firstly - thanks for the ideas and questions ^^.  It seems our GM has been hard at work conceiving a much deeper system of knightly orders that I had.  Which is awesome.

Regarding battle, as I understand it, each knightly order puts forth their own units.  It is up to the Knight's Council which units fight where.  I don't think units get mixed.  This is probably to avoid conflict and maintain unit cohesion.

I also think that a main army and militias exist entirely separately from the Knightly Orders.  The Knight's Council just act as the strategists in campaigns.  I had originally thought that the non-knightly forces might have Knights of the Spear command them, but as the order does not exist anymore, I assume they follow a more normal military hierarchy now.  GM's comments?



The Knights of the Coin (now Custodians of the Coin - which is much better!), get their name from the medallions that Squires wear.  I kinda like it that way.  I also suggested that the coin might be representational of the coins needed to pay the ferryman on the River Styx. As for lack of work, there's going to be a lot of researching involved in tracking lost squires and, depending on where and how they died, in their recovery too.  Though it would make sense for the same Order to look after the Knightly Catacombs...



Hmm.  Good call.  I think it most likely that people will go to the Knightly Orders with an application, either for themselves, for someone that has already proven themselves in battle, or with a child that has little to no future otherwise.  They would then be assessed for suitability.

To me it then makes most sense then to have the applicant's Order decided after their quest has been completed.  That way no Order is suddenly found short of recruits because all the squires it was previously promised have died.  This means the Mentor assigned to the applicant should be 'neutral.'  So, maybe there is an Order of Knights that deals specifically with applications and training?  GM?

Think of it like a special forces unit. They likely have command when around, but are usually left to their own devices. The common foot soldier is going to be part of a much larger organization.

Total active knights? ~1500
Krieghold infantry count? ~75,000(including reserve units like town militia and watchmen)

Also, squires will likely find their own quests-worthy acts. You wouldn't force someone into being an Argonaut if they have a passion for knowledge. The orders have such a large pool to draw from that attrition will take care of filling out the ranks with appropriate candidates. Of course, there is the training and quest that you have to survive first.

Ah, I hadn't realized there as an addition to the world information. I think it looks pretty solid. Also, the only reason I suggested Raven instead of Coin is because I thought they were related to death (I may be entirely wrong). The coins for the ferryman of the Styx I believe is Greek mythology.

Do you have any idea which order you'd want to join?

Yeah our GM posted the update a little after I made mine.  They do deal with death, or at least what the dead leave behind.  Pretty sure you're right about the Styx being in Greek mythology, which was one of the pantheons listed so made some sense (to me anyway ^^).

As for the Order Griswold would join, he's cocky enough to aim for becoming the 5th Rose.  But more realistically, The Spring Order.  He likes people, his own freedom and wants to protect others.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:25, Thu 22 Dec 2016.

Here is Sigi's background

"Sigi Stonebrow, female half-dwarf Rune Smith (Priest? Mage?)

Hagan Stonebrow is one of the finest rune smiths in the Draaken Empire. The stalwart dwarf dedicated his whole life to his craft. He never took a wife, spending nearly every minute at a forge. First learning from a master and eventually running his own smithy.

Hagan, like many dwarves, has a penchant for strong drink. One night he let things go too far with a human barmaid. A year later the gruff rune smith heard a knock on his shop door. He answered, only to find an infant girl wrapped in blankets within a sturdy wicker basket. The barmaid was no where to be found and Hagen was stuck raising the half dwarf girl who bore his flaming red hair. Sigi is the result of her father's one indiscretion.

The young lass was raised on the only things her father knew, fire and steel. She worked in his shop from the moment she could lift a brick of coal. Over the years she became her father's greatest creation, single minded in her work and attention to detail. Hagan feared however that his daughter would never truly be accepted within the Empire, as she 'towered' six inches above almost every dwarf, her heritage was apparent. Second and maybe more importantly, the crafting of runes was seen as a male occupation within the Empire. A few female rune smiths exist but they are few and far between.

The master smith started trading some of his fine creations to give his daughter an even greater gift, the ability to wield a hammer in battle. She was trained by some of the greatest warriors in Empire in exchange for her father's steel and runework.

Within the past few month's Sigi decided to make her way in the world. Traveling away from the Empire she hopes to use her skill with hammer to earn fame and fortune. She desires these things so she may return to the Draaken Empire one day and leave no doubt she is her father's worthy scion."

Here is the material we've created regarding runes

"Runes are the ancient language of the Titans. These massive beings used this magic to bring to order to chaos, eventually sealing the Primordials within the world. Once the Titans created the Gods they sought to maintain their grasp on the world they had worked so hard to forge. In that effort they hid the knowledge of their ancient tongue from their progeny, so they could not be imprisoned in the same way as the Primordials before them.

The Draaken Empire is ancient, as is the dwarf race. These proud people were not so quick to accept the Gods, who could be as fickle and petty as any mortal. Most dwarves continue to worship the Titans themselves, believing them to be transcendent ideas rather than individual beings. The Draaken rune smiths (priests/mages?) search for knowledge of the ancient language of the Titans. They spend a lifetime cobbling together small symbols of their titanic fore-bearers, in hopes of gaining one iota of their power.

Cronus "The Protector" - Leader of the Titans, the followers of Cronus focus on the runes that protect and defend. These dwarves follow an ideology of self sacrifice and community.

Ymir "The Destroyer" - Stormlord and Warmaster, Ymir's followers are some of the greatest warriors in the Empire. These dwarves forge runes that help them and their allies vanquish the foes of the dwarven people.

Ulitoth "Life giver" - The Sun Mistress and healer, Ulithoth's followers bring the children of Draaken into this world and usher the dying into the next. These dwarves forge runes that heal and shed radiant light."

An interesting backstory as well, Sigi!
I think both wizard and cleric work well as a basis for a Rune Smith. It will depend on your personal preference. Here are some questions to help you decide:
- Do you see a Rune Smith as someone who would join the fight wearing armor and wielding weapons (and shield), or do you see them avoiding the front lines?
- Do you think being able to craft/use runes requires high intelligence or wisdom?
- How would class features (Arcane Traditions and Domains in particular) translate to Rune Smith?

Wizards do have a spellbook, which nicely and easily translates to the Rune Smith collecting runes. The only (small) problem I see with this, is that you'll be competing for loot. You want to find runes, while other classes may want to find scrolls.

Alternatively, you may have to do some more work explaining how a cleric's changeable spell list translates to runes. Examples: you could craft new runes every day (or if you decide to swap a spell in your list), or you can 'infuse' a certain amount of runes per day with magic.

Hope this helps.

The dwarvess are beginning to sound very cool.

On the subject of class, there are some new cleric domains in Unearthed Arcana.  If our GM is willing to permit it, there is one called 'Forge Domain,' which may be suitable.

http://dnd.wizards.com/article...leric-divine-domains

I want to post this quickly before they find me posting at work.

I think that maybe each name has a different meaning.

Runesmith- Those dedicated to the creation of items using runes.(Uses Wizard list)

Runepriest- Those dedicated to the dogma behind runes and their safeguard.(Uses Cleric spells)

Runemage- Those who seek to increase and expand the library of rune stones.(Uses Warlock Spells)

Here is the document t the DM was basing the class on.

https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/...t_(5e_Class)#Runes_2

Here is a link to a more complete version. Someone added the blanks that were still missing on the wiki page: http://imgur.com/a/feQfI

I must say that at first glance, this class looks extremely powerful. As it is written now, they are very martially adept, while still having access to the full spell progression, and added flexibility of the runes. Also, flat bonuses to AC or attack are very strong.

The part about the runes is well done though. Both the rune states and the runes themselves are powerful/relevant, but they have a limited resource.

Thanks for the link! That's a great find. I will admit that the class appears overpowered but look at the restrictions. Most runic powers are one shots. The spell list is utilitarian in nature. The runepriest is an anvil of a class, taking a defensive powers of magic to heart and using runes to support the attacks of the party. The more levels, the more support they offer.