Overview

Above all, my philosophy with regard to character creation is:

The world is a big place, and most of it is undefined, so if there's something you really want to play that doesn't seem possible within these constraints, let me know. If you sell me on the idea, we'll find a way to make it work.

I want to help you build a character that is interesting and that works within the context of this game. Keep that in mind above all else as you create your character.

This is a pretty standard D&D campaign/world and characters created per the PHB should fit just fine. However, I've created or modified some details of class, race, background, etc. to better fit the setting, so please be sure to read the details below. Among other things, I hope these new options will spur your creativity.

Stats

We will use the standard array for stats. I don't intend this to be a game where optimizing for damage output during combat is necessary or desirable.

Races

Lawton's Glen is fundamentally a human city within the Kingdom of Franconia, though as a trading post and a frontier town it frequently plays host to members of the races who live in the nearby wilderness or in the Frozen Wastes beyond the Obsidian Pass. These include dwarves, snow elves known as Quinichiat, tribes of nomadic humans known as Northmen, half-elves, and less commonly half-orcs and goliaths.

Dwarves - The most commonly-encountered dwarves in Lawton's Glen are mountain dwarves. Indeed, the underground dwarven town of Knutsdir is practically part of Lawton's Glen, separated only by about a thousand stairs or a lift that many humans are too nervous to use. The residents of Knutsdir are mostly miners, crafsmen, and traders, and they enjoy good relations with their human neighbors. Other mountain dwarves take a far dimmer view of humans, owing to the price they paid for the Orc Wars. Mountain dwarf characters are as found in the PHB.

There are some hill dwarf communities deep in the Northern Wastes, but they are remote and the Nordar (northern dwarves) are rarely encountered. Hill dwarf characters are as found in the PHB, except that they also gain proficiency in survival.

Quinichiat (Snow Elves) - Small, nomadic tribes of snow elves populate the area just beyond the Obsidian Pass. They are mostly hunter/gatherer societies renowned for their spirituality and their deadly obsidian weapons. See the post below for full details on creating a Snow Elf.

Humans - Humans in Lawton's Glen hail from either the Kingdom of Franconia or the barbarian tribes of the Northern Wastes, known as Northmen. The Francos who end up in the town are mostly soldiers, trappers, or traders, though there are also merchants or others who serve the needs of frontiersmen.

The Northmen have much in common with the Quinichiat, though their tribes rely heavily on raiding for their sustenance. The Northmen are much more tolerant than their Franco cousins of orcs and indeed sometimes live among and even breed with them. See the post below for full details on creating a character from either of these subraces.

There are no variant humans. Instead, all characters begin with a single feat, as explained in the section on Feats below.

Half-Elf - Half-elves have one Snow Elf parent and one human parent, but their stats are slightly different depending on whether the human was a Northman or a Franco. In all cases, they have Snowvision instead of Darkvision. Children of Northmen get Arctic Affinity, Obsidian Weapon Proficiency, +1 to Constitution, +1 to another stat of their choice, a single bonus proficiency, and they know both the Quinichiat and Northman languages. Those with Franco parents get +1 to two stats of their choice, two bonus proficiencies, and Quinichiat as a bonus language. These features are explained in the post on Snow Elves below.

Half-Orcs - Half-orcs are common in and have much in common with the barbarian tribes of the north. There are some slight variations to what is found in the PHB described in a post below.

A child born of a Franco and an orc is virtually unheard of. If you want to play one, we can discuss it.

Goliath - Goliaths live high in the mountains of the Frozen Wastes. There are even a few on the peaks above the Obsidian Pass, though they typically remain aloof from human affairs and are rarely seen.

Others - Members of other races would come from a far away part of the world and be quite rare. If there's something you really want to play, we can discuss it on a case-by-case basis.

Classes

All the classes and subclasses from the PHB are welcome. I'm open to most other official WotC material as well. In particular, rangers are welcome and encouraged to use the Revised Ranger from Unearthed Arcana, which is in my opinion a much better designed class than the one in the PHB.

I'm willing to consider homebrewed subclasses, but less open to homebrewed classes - I think official WotC material is quite comprehensive with regard to class options, and new ones are a major addition to the game that I don't feel qualified to evaluate.

There is a new, campaign-specific domain for clerics called Trade. Details are in a post below.

Information about the gods can be found in the thread titled "The World".

Backgrounds

I'm very flexible on backgrounds, either on adding new ones or customizing existing ones to better suit your character. I would like you to choose Personality Traits, Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws, but those listed in the backgrounds are just a beginning. Feel free to choose, change, or add to them as you see fit.

I've created a few custom backgrounds for this campaign: the trapper, the trader, and the Orc Wars veteran. These have their own posts below with full details.

Languages

There is no Common language, but Franco is widely spoken in the region, even by those who are not part of the Kingdom. Not just any Northman or Quinichiat would speak Franco, but those coming into regular contact with Francos would. Thus, all player characters begin with Franco as a language instead of Common, regardless of race. However, it will not be as universally useful for communicating with members of other races as Common is in a typical D&D game.

Feats

There are no variant humans. Instead, all characters begin with a single feat. You may choose from any feat in the PHB or Xanathar's, with the exception of Lucky, which I find to be both overpowered and boring. I may also want to tone down some of the stronger feats, such as Sharpshooter and Great Weapons Master, if you choose one of those.

You may also propose a feat of your own, the details of which we will work out together. The intent here is for the feat to help you create a more unique and customized character concept and to ensure that the mechanics of the game don't unduly punish you for playing the character you're interested in.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:41, Mon 14 Oct 2019.

Quinichiat (Snow Elves)

Snow elves have keen senses and move quickly and stealthily through their native tundra. They live in small, nomadic communities where they hunt, trap, fish, gather nuts and berries, and in some cases herd reindeer. Though wary of outsiders, many tribes have grown dependent on goods from the south and trade actively with humans other races. Their obsidian weapons are prized throughout the land, though few wield them with the skill of the Snow Elves.

Snow Elves’ skin is pale blue bordering on white and covered in intricate, sworling tattoos. Their hair may be white, black, or anywhere between but never has an color to it.

In Snow Elf tribes, everyone plays a part. Children learn from an early age how to fight, hunt and survive. At age 50, each must pass a trial in order to be considered an adult by the tribe. Though it varies by tribe, this rite of passage is often a great hunt testing skills of survival, combat, wisdom, and cleverness. Upon a successful return, the tribe's shaman tattoos them with a pattern of personal spiritual significance.

Though Snow Elves are capable of living for centuries, they are not expected to do so. Rather, they are expected to take risks hunting, scouting, and fighting on behalf of their tribes, and sooner or later those risks catch up to them. A Snow Elf who lives past 100 is met with honor and respect; one who lives past 200 is met with suspicion.

Working together in very close-knit tribes, Snow Elves are strongly Lawful, though they run the gamut from Good to Evil.

Snow Elf Traits

Ability Score Increase. Increase your Constitution by 1.

Snowvision. Snow Elves do not have the darkvision of other elves. However, your vision is not obscured by snow, even in a blizzard.

Arctic Affinity. Naturally acclimated to the cold, you are capable of tolerating temperatures up to -50 degrees. You do not consider any snowy or icy surface as difficult terrain.

Obsidian Weapon Master. You are an expert at striking with obsidian weapons in a way that does not risk breaking them. When you roll a 1 on your attack roll, roll a d20. If the result is greater than (10 - your level), the weapon does not break.

Weapon Proficiency. You are proficient with short bows, longbows, and short swords.

Cantrips. You know either the Frostbite, Ray of Frost, or Freezing Grasp cantrip (Freezing Grasp is just Shocking Grasp with cold damage). Wisdom is your spellcasting ability.

Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:25, Tue 22 Oct 2019.

Human Subraces

Two very different types of humans can be found in Lawton's Glen. The majority of the population are Francos, "civilized" humans from the Kingdom of Franconia. Occasionally, members of the nomadic barbarian tribes of the Northern Wastes also make their way to the town.

There are no variant humans. Instead, all characters begin with a single feat, as explained in the section on Feats below.

Francos

Francos are standard humans from the PHB, except that they gain an additional skill or language proficiency of your choice. They are a cosmopolitan people, relatively speaking, and open to travel and trade with most other races. However, having recently fought a long and bloody war with orcs, most Francos despise members of that race and are wary even of half-orcs.

Northmen

Northmen are members of barbarian tribes who roam the Northern Wastes beyond the Obsidian Pass. Though skilled at hunting and gathering, they are raiders first and foremost, pillaging tribes of Quinichiat, orcs, and even other Northmen for food and other resources.

Ability Score Increase. Increase your Constitution by 2. Increase another ability score of your choice by 2.

Arctic Affinity. Naturally acclimated to the cold, you are capable of tolerating temperatures up to -50 degrees. You do not consider any snowy or icy surface as difficult terrain.

Skill Proficiency. Northmen gain proficiency in Survival.

Obsidian Weapon Master. You are an expert at striking with obsidian weapons in a way that does not risk breaking them. When you roll a 1 on your attack roll, roll a d20. If the result is greater than (10 - your level), the weapon does not break.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:25, Tue 22 Oct 2019.

Half-Orcs

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age. Half-orcs mature a little faster than humans, reaching adulthood around age 14. They age noticeably faster and rarely live longer than 75 years.

Alignment. Half-orcs inherit a tendency toward chaos from their orc parents and are not strongly inclined toward good. Half-orcs raised among ores and willing to live out their lives among them are usually evil.

Size. Half-orcs are somewhat larger and bulkier than humans, and they range from 5 to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Snowvision. Your vision is not obscured by snow, even in a blizzard.

Darkvision. Thanks to your orc blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim Conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in Darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in Darkness, only shades of gray.

Arctic Affinity. Naturally acclimated to the cold, you are capable of tolerating temperatures up to -50 degrees. You do not consider any snowy or icy surface as difficult terrain.

Obsidian Weapon Master. You are an expert at striking with obsidian weapons in a way that does not risk breaking them. When you roll a 1 on your attack roll, roll a d20. If the result is greater than (10 - your level), the weapon does not break.

Menacing. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.

Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit. If using an obsidian weapon, also add your strength modifier to this extra roll.

Languages. You can speak and read Franco, Northman, and Orc. A typical half-orc cannot read or write, but depending on your background, you may have learned.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:25, Tue 22 Oct 2019.

Fur Trapper



More at home in the wilds than in civilization, you have spent years hunting, trapping, and living off the land. Sometimes you travel alone, other times you sell your services to others, leading them along rarely used tracks and paths.

Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Medicine, Nature and Survival.

Feature: At Home in the Wastes. You have survived for years in the Northern Wastes and know both their beauty and their bounty. Indeed, you do not consider them wastes at all! You are adept at navigating and surviving in the familiar terrain, and you can find food and fresh water for yourself and one to five other people each day, depending on the season.

Suggested Equipment: Backpack, bedroll, hempen rope (50 ft.), tent, tinderbox, traveler’s clothes, cold weather gear, waterskin, winter blanket, animal trap, wolf pelt, 5GP

Suggested Characteristics:

d8 Personality Trait
1 I'm not cruel, but I am blunt to the point of making others uncomfortable.
2 I am extremely self-reliant.
3 I find the natural world much more predictable and understandable than other sentient beings.
4 I find beauty and comfort in the wilderness.
5 I'm used to traveling alone and working for myself, so I'm particular and don't take orders well.
6 I get restless and nervous when I spend too much time in civilization.
7 I mutter and talk to myself, sometimes holding entire conversations.
8 I view the natural world as nothing but resources waiting to be harvested.

d6 Ideal
1 Pastoralism. The world would be a better place if everyone could experience the majesty of nature. (Good)
2 Property. Someone must own and manage the wilds or else they will be pillaged. (Lawful)
3 Freedom. I love the wilderness because there's no one to tell me what to do there. (Chaotic)
4 Ruthlessness. I take what I want. (Evil)
5 Instinct. Animals don't worry about good and evil, they simply are. (Neutral)
6 Self-Reliance. Those who depend on others are weak. (Any)

d6 Bond
1 I am drawn to return to the same natural feature time and again; it's the only place I feel at home.
2 Someone killed an animal with which I was bonded, and I swore revenge.
3 I fled to the wilderness because I got myself into some trouble I couldn't get out of.
4 I feel an obligation to protect a specific species or natural feature.
5 I am obsesses with finding a fabled beast.
6 I saw something supernatural out there. No one believes me, but I'm going to prove it.

d6 Flaw
1 I don't understand other sentient beings and am uncomfortable around them.
2 Loud noises and strong smells overwhelm my senses and leave me disoriented.
3 I grow restless when I stay in one place for too long.
4 I’m never satisfied with what I have— I always want more.
5 I hate accepting help from others.
6 I despise those who cannot fend for themselves.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:47, Mon 14 Oct 2019.

Trader

By canoe or caravan, you shuttle goods between your homeland and Lawton's Glen. You've found that commerce transcends barriers of race and culture, and you've traded with humans, dwarves, elves, and perhaps even orcs and goliaths. You became particularly well-acquainted with one of these groups, to the point where you now speak their language fluently and are welcomed among them as an honored guest.

Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion

Tool Proficiency: Vehicles (land) or vehicles (water).

Language Proficiency: Dwarven, elven, orcish, goliath, or Northman.

Suggested Equipment: Traveler's clothes, cold weather clothing, a mink pelt, and a purse containing 25 gp.

Feature: Know Thy Trading Partner. You spent months at a time living amongst your chosen group (Francos, dwarves, elves, Northmen, goliaths, orcs) while trading and negotiating with them. You are now quite familiar with their language and culture, and they welcome you as an honored guest, almost as one of their own.

Suggested Characteristics:

d8 Personality Trait
1 I am eager to meet new people and learn new things.
2 I always ask what's in it for me.
3 I don't fully trust anyone; everything is a negotiation.
4 I try to get others to speak or act first in any situation; I want to see what they do before I commit to anything.
5 I'm used to traveling alone and working for myself, so I'm particular and don't take orders well.
6 I'm open to working with anyone, no matter how despicable they seem.
7 I have no respect for laws that tell me where I can go and who I can talk to.
8 I am open to criticism. Tell me your concerns so that I can address them.

d6 Ideal
1 Understanding. There would be no war if only the peoples of the world better understood each other. (Good)
2 Honor. For trade to flow, others must trust that I will obey the rules and be true to my word. (Lawful)
3 Egotism. I keep my end of a bargain only when it serves my interests to do so. (Chaotic)
4 Cunning. The stupid and ignorant deserve to be taken advantage of. (Evil)
5 Live and Let Live. I'm not one to judge. If a deal serves our mutual interests, then let's make it. (Neutral)
6 Commerce. Trade is the universal language and the universal religion. It's the only thing all the peoples of the world can agree on. (Any)

d6 Bond
1 I fell in love with a member of another race/culture. Although our union is forbidden, I cannot bear to live without them.
2 Someone broke a deal with me, and I want revenge.
3 I've borrowed money to finance various expeditions, and now I'm deeply, dangerously in debt.
4 I promised to deliver certain good but have not been able to do so. I must find a way to uphold my word.
5 I lost a small fortune in goods somewhere in the wilderness. It's still out there, and I can't stop thinking about it.
6 A foreign people adopted me as one of their own, and now I feel torn between my allegiance to them and my allegiance to my homeland.

d6 Flaw
1 I’ll do anything to get my hands on something rare or priceless.
2 I’m quick to assume that someone is trying to cheat me.
3 I grow restless when I stay in one place for too long.
4 I’m never satisfied with what I have— I always want more.
5 I can't forgive anyone who makes a mistake that costs me money.
6 Time is money. Whenever I'm not making money, I feel like I'm wasting my time.

Orc War Veteran

No matter your opinion of the crusades, you fought for King Gralen. Though he is dead and the wars over, you are still in Lawton's Glen. You may be stationed there as a soldier, or you may have voluntarily stayed on the town to start a family or business. Or perhaps you are merely returning to the town for personal reasons, though that's sure to stir up memories…

Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival.

Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set, vehicles (land).

Equipment: Cold weather clothing, a trophy taken from a fallen orc, a set of bone dice or deck of cards, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp.

Feature: Military Rank. You have a military rank from your career as a soldier. Soldiers loyal to your former military organization still recognize your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other soldiers and requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to friendly military encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognized.

Suggest Characteristics: The horrors of war combined with the rigid discipline of military service leave their mark on all soldiers, shaping their ideals, creating strong bonds, and often leaving them scarred and vulnerable to fear, shame, and hatred.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I'm always polite and respectful.
2 I’m haunted by memories of war. I can’t get the images of violence out of my mind.
3 I’ve lost too many friends, and I’m slow to make new ones.
4 I’m full of inspiring and cautionary tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation.
5 I'm more comfortable taking orders than giving them.
6 I'm a no-nonsense rule follower.
7 I have a crude sense of humor.
8 I face problems head-on. A simple, direct solution is the best path to success.

d6 Ideal
1 Greater Good. Our lot is to lay down our lives in defense of others. (Good)
2 Responsibility. I do what I must and obey just authority. (Lawful)
3 Independence. Power corrupts. Even a good ruler will eventually make reckless decisions, with disastrous consequences. (Chaotic)
4 Might. In life as in war, the stronger force wins. (Evil)
5 Live and Let Live. Ideals aren’t worth killing over or going to war for. (Neutral)
6 Nation. My god, nation, or people are all that matter. (Any)

d6 Bond
1 The war isn't over. I remain duty-bound to the task with which my King charged me.
2 Someone gave his life for me on the battlefield. I will spend the rest of my life trying to repay that debt.
3 My honor is my life.
4 I’ll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it.
5 Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for.
6 Many good men went wishing in the Northern Wastes. Some may yet live. Regardless, we owe it to their families to return their bodies.

d6 Flaw
1 Terrible experiences in the orc warrens left me with a nearly paralyzing fear of underground or enclosed spaces.
2 I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior.
3 I made a terrible mistake in battle cost many lives— and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret.
4 My hatred of orcs is blind and unreasoning.
5 I obey orders without question.
6 I yearn for battle and grow restless and uneasy in "regular life".

Trade Domain

Aquila, Roda, and Juma are the favored gods of merchants and traders. Their blessings not only stimulate commerce and inspire artisans but protect trade routes and ensure the free flow of goods between peoples. Clerics of Roda maintain shrines along roads, trails, and rivers to provide places of rest for weary travelers and food, water, and shelter for those who find themselves in need. Aquila is often called upon to bless ships, caravans, and wilderness expeditions. The greedy make sacrifices to Juma in hopes that he will remove barriers to their hearts' desires or reward them with insight into how to gain advantage over others. Servants of all three gods are active in both commerce and politics, advocating for lower tariffs and improved infrastructure.

Domain Spells
1st | comprehend language, protection from evil and good
3rd | calm emotion, detect thoughts
5th | tongues, sending
7th | fabricate, freedom of movement
9th | teleportation circle, legend lore

Merchant's Tongue
At first level; you learn two languages of your choice. You also become proficient in your choice of two of the following skills: Deception, Insight, Persuasion and History. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of those skills.

Channel Divinity: Barter
Starting at 2nd level you can use your channel divinity to barter. For the next hour, you gain advantage on all skill rolls associated with trading, negotiating, or getting yourself out of a “jam.”

Channel Divinity: Wayfinder
At 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to gain divine insight when you are lost or in search of something. You will receive a flash of insight concerning where or how to find a person, place, object, or service that you seek.

Potent Spellcasting
Starting at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip.

Capstone: TBD (If you get anywhere near Level 17, we can discuss this then.)