This adventuring group started at the same time as The Five. It begins with three characters and will be The Three. It is also designed for some drop-in session and semi-permanent from the core. They are also searching for a Lorebook, but their direction is not to the West, but to the North and Sheljar. Their journey is darker.
The Three consist of;
Human, Paladin, Oath of Shield. This is a Paladin that does not have spellcasting, but does have some divine power. He carries a tower shield and is one of the protectors of Kirtin. Their companion is a draft horse.
Human, Mundane Ranger, path unknown. Her companion is a panther. She is originally from Daoud.
Goliath, Commoner (Tinker). He is from the outskirts of Telse, towards Bell’an’fair. This worshipper of Nok wants to learn why thinks work.
This is a group with a bit more fighting weight behind it. Though the Goliath doesn’t hit often, when he does he crushes. Seeing this Piyu and Allison send them off towards the Stench of Sheljar. They were at the same speech about trying to find the Lorebook, as well as Telse’s place in a post-Awakening Kin.
At the urging of Allison they head north through the fields and orchards towards Sheljar. The small group continues though a land that loses civilization quickly. After a few days they meet a family of minor nobles that escaped the stench of Sheljar. Not yet in the bogs and fogs of the fallen empire they learn that even these former leaders no longer tread north on the road. One of their sons left once. He is forever gone. All trade is to the south and the family heavily armed.
A couple days later the group avoids the road now. There are others on the horizon, conflict isn’t desired. This is a scouting trip more than anything else, for now. Off in these woods there is a pile of mostly bones. Their forms are not human, goliath or halfling. There are heavy brows. One has large tusks. The tiny one has a misapportioned mouth and a huge forehead. Each has a crossbow, with the largest of these being usable, with some work. The goliath tinker fixes it. It’s nearly the size of a balista. For him it is just a heavy crossbow. There are only a couple of bolts available. There is also a tiny map of the Sheljar area.
And two days later they enter the bogs and marshes of Sheljar. Their necks wrapped in perfumed kerchiefs so they don’t endure the physical smell their is still a sense of foreboding. On the edge of the settled lands of the dead kingdom they make camp for the night. The small house they found has some rotting hay. It is mostly a ruin, with some soft land to the east that settles into some sort of pond or stagnant water. There is a paddock to the south.
In the late hours the animal companions come aware. They sense something outside of reality nearby. The panther growls waking the group. Skeletal shadows walk towards the nearly sleeping bodies. Only the goliath can see, but the ranger thinks quickly and throws a little flame towards the advancing undead. The party can see 2 skeletons and 3 zombies.
The battle is fast, fierce. Being unfamiliar with combat the tinker struggles to stay involved. Without the panther and the healing abilities of the Shield all would be lost. But they tough it out. All remain living. When the combat is over they sleep a little closer to each other; their companions a little uneasy; their hearts beating faster.
After the last session The Five had finished their original goals. They’d found a Lorebook, and discovered it does not have the answers to “What caused the Awakening?” They did discover a cause, within a clandestine group of Scholars, that Chorl had something to do with the release of the minor magic. There was the discovery that the Obsunites captured the New West Gate. More close to their hearts was the conflict with Parun. The human that is hunting Mansaray.
This session had the following attendees: Behn, Saffron and Samul. Maurice and Aamar have small roles as DM run PCs. Mansaray is still out in the Wildes, maybe. Shonie returned to her family in Telse.
It is now Spring 75, just three days before Summer.
Bishop Ollium has offered the non-Telsians (Behn, Saffron and Samul) a place to stay as there are no visiting priests in the House of Quar at this time. They eat down in the tavern that the Quarites run while Aamar is in the temple library trying to learn more from the Lorebook. As those three and Mo dine Piyu enters the room, he has a single one of his guard with him. He is massive, but does not fill the room. The temple is built for goliaths, as is most of Telse.
“Hello, I will need to see you in my office when you are done with your morning meal. We will discuss the incident yesterday with Parun. He is waiting for us.”
Behn asks, “Should we hurry?”
“No. There isn’t a need. He can wait.”
The group take a reasonable amount of time to finish their meal and leave Aamar in the library. Their canine companions stay in the stable and yard connected to the House of Quar. Bernier, the bear cub, stays with Aamar.
When they enter Piyu’s office Parun is waiting, visibly frustrated at the delay. He has two dogs with him, a reminder that three of his dogs passed in the battle. Piyu’s heron is standing on the desk behind him. As the door closes it unfurls its extensive wings.
Telse, Mira, Qin and the other cities near the Everflow and its two rivers.
“We are here to discuss the incident,” Piyu starts. He describes how Parun is the new ambassador from Azsel. Being new to Telse, he did not understand the laws as regards to slaves. He has now been informed and though he is an ambassador, with all of those rights, he pay a fine to the city for the violence he laid on the local heroes. His netthrower will no longer be allowed inside the inner wall of Telse, nor at Fort Ooshar. Lastly, he will be followed when in Telse. Piyu asks Maurice to lead this effort. Maurice, having a certain hatred for Parun’s profession, agrees.
“But you, you five, damaged that netthrower and killed five dogs from the embassy. Though in self-defense, these sorts of crimes are not welcome in Telse.”
Behn argues that it was really just accidental magic. Piyu points out that it was a fire bolt that set the netthrower on fire. Behn is humbled, but not for long.
“So how much is the fine?” all four ask at nearly the same time.
“150”
“What?!” Behn, eager to pay back since he was the one that caused the damage was about to pay out of his pocket, but now needs help.
“There may be another solution if you do not have these funds readily available.” Parun tries to interrupt and is told to hold his voice. “Telse needs help. Half the Guard and a third of the Militia is monitoring the West Gate and the neighborhoods near where the Obsunites gained control. But there are many other issues you’ve brought forth to the Mayor. Will you help us?”
Parun again interrupts. “These, four? They committed crimes.”
“Leave, now. Mo will follow you,” Piyu commands. “If you help your fine to the city will be on probation.”
“What should we do?”
“What ever is needed.”
It’s open ended. They do not have instructions, unless they choose to address the silly apocalyptic cult blocking the New West Gate and the refugee ghettos on that side of town. But they are connected to the city, a bit more.
Samul goes to a mailer to send a pigeon to a friend back in Gate. That friend will then need to get a note to his betrothed. It should take about two days for that message to get to her ears. Saffron sends a pigeon to Kirtin-in-the-Sky to then get the note carried to Korlot where her older friend Teegan lives.
There’s also some shopping. Most of it is administrative. Behn replaces his missing bolts and buys more, and then buys a pack and harness for his dog Mitzie. Samul requests a dagger-glove for his off hand. (The mechanics for this are just that he always has a dagger ready on that hand, he already did a d4 damage). It will be done in a couple days.
The three then return to Aamar. The priest tell them that he’s learned a few things from his study.
There’s more than one Lorebook
They are likely where more Scholars are
Within the Lorebook are the type of spells that could remove the Stench of Sheljar
The Stench of Sheljar is because the former empire fell to pieces when the Awakening happened. Many people perished as those with powers of violence acted. The area rapidly fell to ruins. Some fled to Brodton, many more came to the northern parts of Telse, but most died. There is now a general uneasiness in the air, the odor of decay and a light fog. A number barely larger than zero enter those lands.
Now the group splits up. They’re learning about the area and have some clues to follow.
Samul heads out to the dockside. He’s worked the sea before and knows he’ll find some info among those that work the river. His target is a group of sailors from Daoud. He discovers that their ship is in Qin and they’ll be taking several barrels of the Everflow and other goods down river soon. Asking about areas they know he learns;
Qin has something like cannon guarding the harbor
In general the sailors think that Qin is a bizarre, but huge city
Kirtin-on-the-Lake has a huge library
Behn and Saffron head to the embassy for Mira, approaching the ambassador there. The idea is that since Mira was a fringe, semi-independent part of Sheljar they may learn more about the Stench and Sheljar.
Brodton is a no man’s land
Mira’s merchants avoid the roads rather than risk going through the town
Even the river traders up their alertness when on river, though it is several miles from the town
The government of Mira avoids the Stench of Sheljar
Session 10 was heavy social session, with a tiny bit of exploration, as the players started to fill out spaces within the town with the mailer and the dockside tavern.
Depending on the hooks they are looking to chase they can pursue heading off to Kirtin-on-the-Lake’s library (Lorebooks?), to the exotic city of Qin (Scholars?), to Brodton (Sheljar), or back out west to investigate Chorl/Cortez.
It was our first session in about two months. Planned as a short session that wrapped up the Quest for the Lorebook. The intent was for a primarily social session that introduced some new hooks for further adventures and established some downtime activities. As they say, “the best laid plans.”
After leaving Mayor Kellamon’s house/office most of The Five headed towards the House of Quar, the temple/storefront of Telse’s largest faith. Sitting on the Font of Two Paths the House of Quar bottles and barrels the holy water. Its waters can heal wounds, cure diseases and prolong life. It has two prices, for the faithful (a small donation) and for others (50 gold).
Being in Telse, which is the homeland of three members of the party, they are confident. Shonie heads off to her home. Ten less minutes talking to priests is fine. They got their payment, what more does she need to do?
So the Five, but not the original Five, cross the market. It is bustling with dogs, birds, ponies and other companions. Shops are hawking goods, sometimes hawks.
And then a huge net falls on top of Aamar, Bernie and Mansaray’s falcon. It came from the direction of the Fair Market, where gemstones, jewelry and blown glass are sold. Behn immediately spins in that direction and unloads a bolt into a halfling manning a cart with a large netthrower on it. In front of the cart are two mastiffs. There are five other warhounds with the group opposing The Five. Another halfing is alongside the cart. A slight human stands in front of the group.
“Give me Mansaray’s falcon,” the human demands.
Here the party could do many thing. Though in conflict no lethal action was taken. And, it stays that way for just a moment longer.
Behn wins initiative. He’s just a sorcerer, and still learning his spell powers since the Five have had a Lorebook for a couple days. He casts Fog Cloud to obscure The Five. Mo is next. The quick thinking rogue cuts through the netting to release Aamar and the two bonded companions then uses Cunning Action to Dash towards the House’s door. He yells for Samul and Saffron to follow (those two characters are unplayered in this session).
The two halfings at the cart start loading a new net.
“These need not go further, just give me the bird,” as he whips the bird. Dropping it to the ground unconscious.
Aamar, now free of the net, casts Hold Person. It doesn’t take, as the mental power of the subject was too strong. That man whips Behn. It’s a relatively minor wound, but magically saps his strength as well. Behn’s pissed. The man is rather frustrated.
This next round is when things escalate.
Behn casts Thunderwave. Luckily every single possible subject makes its save. Luckily because it includes several of his friends. But five of the opposition’s dogs are in range and they all fall. Both halfings are wounded both from the wave of thunder and their psychic bond. Aamar is wounded two ways. Bernie is wounded. The man with the whip is wounded two ways. The rest of The Five are inside the House. Maurice is dashing for the Bishop sensing that his friends are outmatched.
One other issue takes place. Behn’s a wild sorcerer. All arcane casters in Kin are wild. There are not yet the schools teaching those that channel magic to understand what it is they do. He surges. To Behn’s good fortune he gets to teleport to a place within 60 feet and he’s now inside the bell tower looking down into the fog.
Everyone in the market and most inside Telse hear the boom of thunder. What was once a quiet, non-lethal attempt to capture became a deafening battle with lives on the line. The Guard is alert.
The man with the whip strikes Aamar twice. He isn’t seeking a killing blow, but one that disables the Cleric of Quar. It works. Aamar is down. Bernie is enraged and rakes his claws across the slaver. Samul rushes out to find Aamar in the fog. One of the halfings shoots at Behn in the tower. The other has the netthrower readied.
Behn’s fog is still stable. Bernie and this slaver are inside the thick cloud and can’t make out the details from the rest of the conflict. The two dogs that didn’t get caught in the thunderwave flee. It’s rushed. There is chaos. Behn’s bicep is oozing blood with a dark mist around the whip wound.
The man drops his whip. Pulls a bow and shoots at the man of Mehmd, again hitting. Behn is about to go down as well. Mo gets Samul’s help, rushing out to pull Aamar into the church as the fog clears. Bishop Ollium stands at the entry too.
Bernie claws the slaver again.
Piyu and a few members of the Guard are nearby. Behn blasts the netthrowing cart with a Firebolt. The halflings try to put that fire out.
Captain Piyu shouts out, “Parun, drop your bow. Everyone, stop.” He has numbers, and health on his side. One of the Guard casts friends on Bernie, the bear cub.
That event requires some quick rules invention. Bonded Companions are somewhat like people, but not their own agents. The check for control is opposed by Aamar’s Charisma. Luckily for Aamar and the Five the role fails and Bernie stops attacking, for a moment.
Behn runs down the ladder-stair from the bell tower into the temple’s chamber of worship. He snags a flask of the Everflow and quaffs it. The necrosis on this arm stops. Saffron shoves different vial of water down Aamar’s throat.
“Piyu, I’m here on Azsel business and just need that falcon. Mansaray escaped and we are able to recover.”
“I do not see a Mansaray. I see six heroes of Telse. I don’t even see the falcon.” The poor falcon is at the top of the bell tower. “Azsel’s authority here is at Kellamon’s will. He most certainly will not will you to recapture an escapee within town.”
Piyu is a goliath, like Mansaray. Half his guard is as well.
“Come with me Parun. We will talk with the Mayor about this,” the old goliath commands. “You others, go with the Bishop. Figure out what to do with the Lorebook.”
Pointing at one of Parun’s halfling companions with a crossbow bolt in his thigh Behn asks, “Can I have that back?” That halfling casts Acid Splash back to answer in the negative.
Bishop Ollium steps between the two. “You, go! You, come!”
They are saved, but heavily wounded. The road between the General Market and Fair Market is covered in the violence. Another priest of Quar comes out to look after the wounded dogs. Some may be saved.
“You, Mehmd man, fifty gold for that flask.”
“What flask?” Behn tries to play it off.
“The one that you tossed aside at the base of the stairs.”
“OK, that flask.” Behn scrapes together the coinage, barely. The Five have yet to cash the cheques that Mayor Kellamon instructed them to take to the money changer.
“Son,” the Bishop looks at Aamar, “does the Book have answers?”
“It does not,” the independent priest answers. “It has some history and lessons of magic. Over these days I think I’m learning more and we of Quar can learn more.”
“May I have the book?”
Aamar respectfully declines. “I will study it here, but I’m attuned to what it does and can help us all learn.”
After a first adventure The Five went out into the Western Wildes. They learned that a group called The Scholars are keeping Kin ignorant of magic. Cortez’ student Chorl is responsible for the Awakening, violating the trust of the Scholars. When Cortez set the volcano off he may have eliminated Chorl and the Cult of Nak’s power. While they were away the West Gate was taken over by Oun/Obsconites who are trying to hasten the fall of Kin. This group is preventing all goods from coming to Telse along the Western Road that connects Dakan Thaeeb and the Cliffs of Gallinor to Telse. Lastly, they met Parun, an agent of Azsel who is collecting escaped slaves to bring them back to the halfling slave kingdom.
Their adventures are not over. They’ve collected a few goods, gained some power and know that Kin continues to feel the effects of the Awakening.
I’ve had the great pleasure of playing with the alpha test of Fantastic Maps #HexAllTheThings. If you want to break the tool sign up here. The first thing I did to break it was make a larger than expected map of the Western Wildes, or those cities and towns that are primarily influenced by The Everflow.
Telse, Mira, Qin and the other cities near the Everflow and its two rivers.
This image doesn’t include the Fog of War functions, nor the ability to see descriptions as part of the labels as the web version does. Thankfully for me, the region is temperate and mostly green trees. So the earliest of releases looks like what I want the area to look like.
You can see the North River and South River coming out from the Font of Two Paths. There is also the devastation at the Ruins of Sheljar. That city didn’t handle the Awakening well. Though it’s only been 21 years the influx of cantrips into this city in the swamps lead to fighting and destruction. The area has been abandoned as many of the bridges, dikes and other bulwarks were destroyed. There are also now massive waves pounding the shores of Sheljar Bay.
Those that followed the story of The Five will see the Glass Tower and the encampment where the Cult of Nak took residence. I used regional shading there to show areas that were effected by the volcano that Scholar Cortez set off. Along the road is the West Gate where Obsondites took over. There is regional shading there as well.
Mira and Qin get some attention, but since their outlying communities are not common knowledge to the people of Telse they get no labels. Three of The Five are from Telse and its environs. Shonee grew up in the town itself. Aamar spent some time in the uplands discovering his faith. Mo hails from Fort Ooshar, a former Sheljar tax collecting town that Telse now controls so that their goods can get to Mira unmolested.
Qin is defined by it’s massive harbor, the lighthouse and the Cannons of Qin. Those two towers at the mouth of the bay prevent attack from the sea. The road through the uplands is hard travel, and many will take the South River upstream on pole and paddle.
Mira has more outlying towns and towers. With it being much closer to the River Crinth it has to use more of its might to prevent invasion and refugees from the Crinth/Azsel wars. There’s also an odd peninsula that I made just to test out how the automatic shorelines worked.
These are fairly simple maps at this point. I used a scale of 24 miles across, because I wanted a moderate day of travel per hex. The scale change and actual gaming forced changes from my first hand drawn map. I’ve now started working on two other regions where other characters originate. Gate (Samul, Behn) is nearly done. The lakes along Crinth where Mansaray is from are still being developed, and may need to wait for more features.
“Here, fix this,” Estrella’s brother hands her an axe. It takes a few moments and the large chip is gone. “Done.” Others have these big powers, they can do things. Baboli can predict the weather and make flowers bloom. That’s so useful. Femmo does fun little things with fire. He helped clear a new field. It’s so handy.
She repaired a broken jar and the little ornament she blew for her Journeywork to reveal on Service Day. Chechu, her little pigeon, returns from Kirtin-in-the-Sky. The letter is simple. No exception is granted. She will serve, as all do. A common glassblower, with a messenger pigeon and the ability to mend will serve on the Keltann Slope where Azsel continues to raid. She isn’t a hero. She’s as common as can be. Simple, and ineffective at war, but she will serve.
Commoners are the foundation of the land. They aren’t adventurers and heroes. They blow glass. They tend bar. They farm. It’s not often that a GM needs a stat block for a Commoner, unless they are routine. At this point Estrella is young, with attributes that don’t seem like they should develop into a fighter, but she’s an experienced glassworker. Below you will find a rules hack to quickly throw together a Commoner who has an uncommon role within your DnD campaign.
Commoners start with the following attributes and skills.
Class Features HD: 1d4 at 1st and 2nd levels HP at 1st: 4+CON HP at higher levels: CON + HD if appropriate Must have 12 in Apprentice Attribute and 11 in Journeyman Array: 12,11,11,10,9,8 If dice roll: 3d4+3
Proficiencies Padded Armor Two simple weapons, 1 must be melee Saving Throws: Apprentice attribute at 1st level, Journeyman at 2nd Skills/Tools by profession and level
Estrella’s array is STR: 8, DEX 12 13, CON 9, INT 10 11, WIS 12, CHA 13 with a woeful 3 HP. Her humanness added 3 points. Estrella is a bit of a leaders and wise, for a Commoner. She knows how to use darts and a light hammer.
As a glassblower she has some skills. As most in Kin she learns some History on the Day of Glight. She knows how to use Glassblower’s Tools, because well, that’s what she does. There’s also a bonus to her DEX or INT, because those are the attributes she uses the most. Since she’s already finished her journeywork we know that she’s actually already reached that second tier as a commoner, a Journeyman. She could set up her own shop now. Her work is decent.
That has game benefits too. Glassblowers pickup Arcana as their vials and bubbles are often used by various scholars, alchemists and sages. She again gets a bonus to DEX or INT. This time it goes to INT to represent her fascination with book learning. That’s still a pretty poor array. If she continues on her path she’ll become a Master Glassworker with expertise in those tools.
She could also learn a new profession.
Obviously she could have been some other profession with other skills and familiarity with tools, but then she would not be Estrella. She’d be a different commoner. Here are a few of those.
Professions
Apprentice Attribute
Apprentice Skill
Apprentice Tools
Journeyman Skill
Journeyman Attribute
Master Ability
Prerequisites
Artist
CHA
History
Artist Tools
Religion
DEX
Expertise: Artist Tools
Barber
CHA
Medicine
Insight
WIS
Dagger
Blacksmith
STR
History
Smith tools
1 other tool
CON
Any 1 weapon
Brewer/Vintner
INT
Arcana
Brewer’s Tools
Herbalism Kit
WIS
Cook or Herbalist
Butcher
STR
Animal Handling
INT
Any 1 slashing weapon
Carpenter
STR
History
Carpenter’s Tools
CON
Expertise: Carpenter’s Tools
Clerk
INT
History
Calligrapher’s Supplies
Religion
WIS
3 Languages
A GM could throw together a list of professions or slap them together as needed. They should be skeletons of a class, not an actual class. They shouldn’t even match a background in potency, until their fourth tier as a Commoner when they possibly become heroes, or they are just extraordinary artisans, craftspeople, etc.
Here are those tiers of play. The first three can be played by PCs if a player wants to have that feeling as the farmboy that becomes something (or the glassblower).
At 1st level (Apprentice)
Plus 1 to Apprentice attribute or Journeyman attribute
Proficiency in Apprentice skill and tool (if only one can take any single skill, language, tool)
If in Kin gain Bonded Companion
If in Kin gain single Cantrip
At 1.1 (Journeyman) – 50 xp
Proficiency in Journeyman skill. If none listed or already known can take any single skill, language, or tool
Plus 1 to Apprentice attribute or Journeyman attribute
At 1.2 (Master) – 100 xp to advance
Proficiency bonus grows to +2
Plus 1 to Apprentice attribute
At 2.1 level (Expert) – 300 xp
Gain expert ability
Plus 1 to Journeyman attribute
Gain HD
At 2.2 (Adept) – 600 xp
Learns 1 new skill/tool/kit of choice
Can take 1 Feat
Gains +1 to any two attributes related to profession(s)
Learns proficiency in shield or leather armor and 1 additional simple weapon
MULTI PROFESSION RULES
At 3rd level rather than Master can become Journeyman in either profession. Gain those abilities at new 1st level
At 4th level can advance a tier in either profession gaining those benefits
At 5th level must advance highest tier one more tier. They would not get a feat, nor the martial profs if multi-professions.
BECOMING A HERO
At 300 or 900 xp a Commoner can become a hero and multiclass
Pick a background and gain all skills, features yet unlearned
This makes a Commoner, a bit less common. It’s a waste of time for an NPC that won’t regularly interact with characters and is most useful if that NPC is going to partake in some kind of action or encounter with the PCs. For a PC the slow start is difficult. But advancement should be rapid. During a session zero a one-on-one session could take that PC through a couple minor encounters. This type of PC doesn’t need a backstory because they play that backstory.
Don’t let your regular Commoners remain common.
We’ll dive back into Estrella’s heroic rise from glassworker to frustrated peace as she meets Teegan and Rohan in their Summer of Service.
