What sourcebooks will be allowed?  I'm toying with a Dragonborn concept but I see on the web that they have significantly changed  the racial subtypes as additional supplements have come out.  Is it all fair game or do we need to stick to just one or two supplements?

I'm open to virtually anything. I am inclined to use the more recent versions in cases where they've revised classes/subclasses/races etc just because I trust they had a reason for doing it, but you can draw material from anywhere, including 3rd party/homebrew stuff. The more farflung it is, the more I'd want to discuss it and make sure everyone is comfortable with it, but you're free to suggest it and I'll encourage everyone to be as accommodating as they're comfortable with.

So in the months since working on my sorcerer cook idea, I've had a few other ones peak my interest as well. Really got into the merits of arcane trickster for since, specifically its interactions with swarmkeeper ranger for a ranger/rogue with BEES that lockpick and steal.

Also Divine Soul Sorcerer (possible cleric dip) for the best metamagic heal class in town, which goes nicely with a few ways of approaching that (priestly type who approaches faith more like a paladin (charisma) than a cleric (wisdom)?)

You always have neat character build ideas, Cora!  I can never think of interesting combos like that.

I take the unexciting approach to almost always go single-class, find a subclass that does something neat, then pick a few things I want the character to be able to do and build around those.  Random example: A compulsive climber who is super tough and determined to protect little friends!  Seen that one before somewhere, I think ;)

Thank you! Honestly it came from watching a video on a gloomstalker ranger/rogue multiclass where they recommended assassin for damage, scout for versatility or arcane trickster for broad playability over a whole game

I then though "huh, okay why be gloomstalker then?" and there was an Eberron game recruiting and I didn't get in but it was fun to make a character application for someone from the town policed by bees.

I'm a frustrated forever DM at heart.

So where are we at in terms of the discussion of the next game?

Last confirmed thing I made was a Celestial Warlock/Draconic Sorcerer idea for a cook halfling, might still pursue but I've had nothing BUT time to think on so many more ideas and I want to make sure I'm preparing a good one for this group
This message was last edited by the player at 18:26, Tue 14 Feb 2023.

I hadn't decided on a concept yet. I was waiting to see what else materialized before trying to slot myself in. Given this is a gnome heavy campaign though, I might veer in that direction (or autognome if allowed ;) ).

Since it's a city, shouldn't you be a metro-gnome?

Apropos of nothing, I think I have a bard concept ;)

Remind me, at what level would we being the game?  And at a rough guess, how high will we likely get by the game's end?  In our current game we're 10th level now - would you see it likely being about the same?

I ask so that I can evaluate character subclass choices appropriately - no need to count on 15th or 18th level powers and skills if we're not getting that high, and even abilities gained at 9th or 10th level aren't going to weigh in on the choice much, since they won't get much use.

Currently still looking at a dragonborn concept, though trying to make it work in a rogue skin (against type for dragonborn, I know).

Thanks!

Of all the races, dragonborn grabs me the least. I started in 3rd ed so maybe I just never game them the right chance. I do have a build in my notes called "roleplaying challenge" that is a dragonborn beastmaster ranger hermit with the healer feat, essentially my least favourite stuff to challenge myself to play a character, but otherwise I feel like I need to really think about dragonborn some more.

A rogue dragonborn sounds awesome though. Whether a traditional thief or simply an "awesome by analysis" skillmonkey, it's different from the stodgy mage or imperious knight cliches

I've never played a dragonborn at all, so thought to give it a try.  But the flavour of this game as I see it does not lend itself to an imperious knight, as you put it, even though that is my understanding of the traditional dragonborn path.  So rogue sounded like a challenging choice, plus there is the potential tie-in to the whole "dragons used to run the world" thing, which I'm thinking should add some complications.

I'm glad to see y'all are still enthusiastic about this! I worried my recent delays here might have shaken your confidence in me. I don't want to dump cold water on other kinds of brainstorming, but selfishly, I'm most interested in hearing the kind of characters you're interested in playing (boundlessly enthusiastic warrior who loves to climb, scarred veteran of the Orc Wars, etc). That's what most spurs my imagination to craft world, setting, and story hooks that fit them. Caell's post (#68) is a great example of this. And Opalia's, just above it.

It may be buried by now, but my post #53 will hopefully serve as a useful jumping off point.

.

The concept I'm working with so far is a member of a dragonborn clan who were enforcers and assassins in the heady days of the Dragon Empire, but who slid into the shadows when the revolution happened to ensure their survival.  Over the past centuries the clan has become essentially a criminal organization still specializing in enforcement, assassination and theft, but has never forgotten what their ancestors were like.  My character would be a member of this clan and looking for a way to upset the current order so that their rightful place/honour can be reclaimed.  Given the scenario you sketched out, this means joining the latest rebellion against the gnome corporate lords aligns with the clan's desires, as it will destabilize the current power structure.

I think we'd need to flesh out how the dragonborn are viewed in current society, given they were tied to the bad empire way back when.  I'm expecting they will still have to stick to the fringes and would suffer prejudice in polite society, only walking openly in the grimier areas where day-to-day concerns have long overtaken thoughts of politics and they are judged on their current behaviour and usefulness.

Mechanically I'm thinking a Topaz Dragonborn Rogue (Soulknife), probably with the Criminal background.  Proud, tempermental, and looking to put his clan back on the map again.

Sikuaq - love soulknife, love the sound of this character

Rereading the writeup I immediately gravitated to union organizer or noble scion of an industrial family so I'll noodle a couple ideas on that and include a couple more that are my basic "this is what I'm thinking about right now in my 'ready to play' concepts" too

What's the situation on races. Gnomes are the big guys but where do other groups fall? Are they broadly represented across all strata (there are say orcish nobles and slum dwellers, dwarven robber barons and dwarven dock workers) or is it a "monstrous/savage humanoids are nearer the bottom" situation?

Obviously any race we want to play likely finds a place, but more outlandish races like kenku, aarokocra, fairy and satyr might not fit quite like elf and tiefling would?

Was also considering asking about homebrew classes like Mercer's Blood Hunter or Benjamin Huffman's Pugilist (possibly a decent union organizer . . .) but there's not much that's needed from these that core classes don't already provide. What's the sitch on artificer?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:44, Thu 16 Feb 2023.

Alright I've been doing some thinking and bard autognome tympanist named metro-gnome aside, I've got two character concepts in mind that I could run with. The first one really leans into the artifice concept. The second into the capitalist narrative.

Factor-157 (Autognome or Warforged Armorer Artificer)

Factor began his existence as a literal cog in the machine, CC-Factory-Automaton-157, a construct built into the assembly line of one of Crocklespring Cognelius's factories and imbued with the base minimum intellect required to fulfil his function. Without an individual identity, or indeed even legs to carry him from his post, Factor performed tirelessly for years, day and night without complaint or want of praise or payment. Until one day he could not. Deeming it more cost efficient to replace the failing construct than to repair it, Factor was ripped out of his station and cast aside for parts.

There in the factory scrapheap his story might have ended as quietly and unremarkably as it had begun if not for the intervention of a young Bazzle Cinderhorn. Seeing something of value in the discarded automaton, or perhaps feeling a sense of kinship with it, Baz carried Factor away from the factory of his creation and repaired him. More than just restore his form however, Baz gifted Factor with the one thing which Crocklespring had never deemed necessary to bestow upon him - a mind. And a true sense of self.

Factor remains a tireless worker, loyal servant and a fierce protector of those he deems to be his friends. Now possessed of a formidable intellect he works endlessly to reinvent himself, carrying on the task where Bazzle left off.

Baern Snagglehorn (Deepgnome Zealot Barbarrian)

The factories of Coglinton are a voracious beast, requiring an endless stream of workers and raw materials to keep the smoke stacks billowing. Fresh workers are abundant in the city's sprawling tenements, but raw materials must be ripped from the earth below. Deep below the surface, sprawling out like an ever expanding spiderweb of tunnels lie Coglinton's mines. There another host of workers labor in oppressive heat and darkness between the volcanic vents, prying minerals from the rocks to feed the glutenous appetite of the beast above.

Unlike the stranglehold the Cognelius clan maintains on the city, the mines are still a patchwork of contested claims vied for by old families, corporate enterprises, criminal syndicates and everything in between. Anyone can stake a claim theoretically as long as they are prepared to defend it. Sabotage is common. Bloody brawls are not unheard of. And that's before one considered the dangerous creatures that stalk the depths.

Life is cheap and golems are expensive so living, breathing workers are plentiful in the mines. Baern was one of them. Compared to their tinkering rock gnome cousins, the deep gnomes may have been an oddity in the streets and factories of Coglinton itself but here beneath the crust they were a common sight. As far as miners went Baern was a perfectly serviceable specimen. Like any deep gnome he was comfortable around the working end of a pickaxe. But where he really stood out like a vein of gold in an iron seam was in a brawl.

Baern started off his career as a tunneler for the Ironseeker company. After a particularly violent confrontation with a neighboring claim though he gained the attention of his foreman and was put to work as a tunnelwarden. His standing swiftly began to rise, but Baern became increasingly disillusioned with the whole ordeal. Rebelling against the callousness and rapacity of a system that chewed up men by the hundreds, swallowing them whole or spitting them back out again broken and listless Baern put together what wealth he could muster and headed for the surface. It was there he found Bazzle.

Bazzle Cinderhorn was different. He spoke to a new system; a new way of thinking and organizing - a system that benefitted the workers and not merely the barons at the top of the pile. Baern was immediately entranced. Signing on the with Ciderhorn crew, Baern perhaps unsurprisingly found himself applying his same talents in a new livery. But at least if he was going to be knocking heads for a living, he could do it with pride for a cause he honestly believed in.

Fantastic stuff! <3 you all (should read as "heart you all", though I realize it looks a little like I'm mooning you all!). Our current world was so enlarged and enriched by your contributions, and I see that starting to happen here already, with dragonborn assassins and sentient cogs.



My original concept, which is certainly not set in stone, was to try to conceptualize a world where race was not so prominent a feature of people's identity and social standing, particularly given its preeminence in our current campaign. I think this is also a concept borrowed from Eberron? That your relationship to the dragon overlords - whether you were a collaborator or a resister or something in between - matters more than whether you have wings or horns or a trunk. The races may once have had distinct cultures and societies but the dragons conquered everyone and flattened all that out and mish-mashed everyone together as their slaves, so now everyone's in the same boat trying to build a new culture and society from scratch, without strong pre-existing racial identities.

To Sikuaq's concept, I think even for dragonborn, it wouldn't have to be the case they were all necessarily aligned with or nostalgic for the dragon overlords. Many people would have a draconic ancestor somewhere in their past, so while the dragonborn might have been more likely to serve the dragons, it's not something that's immediately assumed or held against them.

I think that also means no one is outlandish. If you want to play it, we'll find a way to make it work.

Same idea here: if you want to play it, we'll find a way to make it work. Artificer is an easy fit.

Love both of them but Baern is so awesome, love the deep gnome zealot angle!

I'm muddling through coming up with well written concepts but basic idea for either a union organizer or a noble scion could be either a Cleric/Sorcerer OR a Battlemaster/Mastermind depending on the party needs (either a healer protector, or a person who gets the most out of their allies)

Or there's the draconic sorcerer who is a fire plane conduit cook, I can still do that too.

You guys all have such wonderful ideas! I'm truly impressed - and slightly intimidated (can you be creatively intimidated? I think that's possible)!

I keep thinking I'm going to come up with a better idea than the goblin paladin I originally considered. But so far... I got nothing. I've never played a gnome before, so that's intriguing. Well, tomorrow is another day - maybe something will hit me then!

You're welcome to suggest something different, Fergus, but no pressure - goblin paladin is a solid concept and there's plenty of creative ways to build that out. Just spitballing here:

1. IIRC you're original concept was to play against type, and that's still very viable - you could be a former member of a street gang or something who's gone straight and joined the constabulary. Oath of Vengeance could even ben an option here - maybe you've got a grudge against a gang or thieves' guild.

2. You could also consider being a kobold rather than a goblin, in which case the against type angle would come from serving the city and its humanoid residents against, among other threats, those of the draconic variety.

3. Not all paladins are dedicated to serving status quo authorities like church and government. As Order of the Ancients, for instance, you could oppose the city's rapacious industrialization and the damage it's doing to the natural world. (This might also be an uncommon role for a goblin, at least vis a vis WoW goblin lore.

4. D&D traditionally associates machinery and constructs with order and lawfulness. You could serve a church that worships the orderliness and predictability of clockwork and the like.

Just putting it out there that I'm considering a kobold or dragonborn for my investigator/constable.

Wow, lots more discussion and awesome ideas!  Love those character concepts, Sik and Arv.

I'm still interested in playing this loose character concept I pitched here before, but all the fun details remain TBD along with setting and party member connections and all the rest :)

I found this 5e Steampunk Compendium today: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/r1mnLrkNrZ

I've only flipped through it a little myself so it's not like an official campaign supplement or anything, but it might be useful for brainstorming purposes. There's a clockwork race that might be an alternative to warforged for the concept Arvid mentioned, for instance.

Literally all of these stubs could be an artificer or a battlemaster/mastermind multiclass, or a sorcerer/cleric multiclass. And this is just the two ideas I've been noodling on . . .

(Guild Artisan or Noble, possibly criminal (less reputable connections)?. Human or maybe tiefling?)

Meredith Ashbridge has lived a good life, some would even say privileged and undeserved. The natural born daughter of the noble house of Findlay of Ashbridge, taken in when her common parent died, she has thrown herself into both education (such as a natural daughter gets) and work to pay a never-ending debt to her esteemed family. Though the Findlays bring her out for parades and "worker unity" days and tout her as a beloved bridge between the aristocracy and the common, she often thinks she overhears the whispered resentments of both camps.

(Entertainer or Criminal/Urchin or Guild Artisan or Folk Hero, satyr, gnome, human, anything really)

Kreovliam (Kreo) was once just another face in the crowd, working a thankless job down in the lower districts. But all that changed when a wildcat strike was called in response to a worker dying at one of the tanning houses. Kreo joined the strike in solidarity, and got the brunt of a guard's club for his troubles, but gave as good as he got, finding he had a taste for the solidarity of the worker. He began organizing, meeting with his comrades and doing what he could to protect them.

Edit: and there's still a warlock/sorcerer mega-cook option if that's of interest
This message was last edited by the player at 14:55, Sun 05 Mar 2023.

I've opened a new game with some more details about Coglinton. Please RTJ at your convenience: link to another game