Sample Characters
The following are writeups of characters from the previous Woodhill campaign. They are slightly changed to conform to the Character Creation Guidelines for Legends of Woodhill, but otherwise are exactly as they were originally conceived.
Jalarzi
Female Human Monk 4
Stats: Str 13, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 11, Armor Class 16 (+3 Dex, +3 Wis), 40 Hit Points.
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +7.
Skills (ranks/bonus): Balance 4/+7, Climb 3/+5, Concentration 4/+5, Escape Artist 2/+5, Hide 7/+10, Jump
5/+7, Listen 7/+10, Move Silently 7/+10, Swim 3/+5, Tumble 7/+10.
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Mobility.
Equipment: Monk's outfit, nunchaku.
Special Ability/Unique Magic Item: The Mark of Torm (adds +1 level equivalent, and counts
as the character's level-based magic item)
Jalarzi is branded with the Mark of Torm, silvery tattoos that cover both forearms. Imbued with positive energy,
the Mark of Torm is a bane against undead. In addition, the tattoos are designed specifically to enhance Jalarzi's
monk abilities. They have the following abilities and disadvantages:
- +4 inherent bonus to Constitution
- Can bypass damage reduction as if the blow was made with a weapon with a +1 enhancement bonus. This adds to the Ki strike ability monks gain at 10th level. In addition, these blows can be made either unarmed or with a weapon.
- The bearer of the mark gains the Wholeness of Body monk ability at 1st level, and heals triple the monk level in hit points instead of double.
- Can cure another by spending hit points (on a one for one basis).
- Can turn undead as a cleric of two levels lower than the character level.
- Gains the Disruption ability with unarmed attacks at 7th level.
- The character may make saves versus energy drain attacks immediately (as well as the save allowed 24 hours later). If a save is made, the energy drain has no effect, but the character loses 1d6 hit points for every negative level that would have been incurred.
- If targeted by an evil cleric's rebuke ability, Jalarzi loses hit points equal to the turning damage rolled (2d6 + cleric level + the cleric's charisma modifier).
- Other uses of positive or negative energy can also affect Jalarzi. Any cure heals an additional hit point per die rolled, and any inflict causes an additional hit point per die rolled. Similar effects that do not cure or inflict damage will heal or inflict a minimum of one hit point, and a maximum amount equal to the hit dice of the creature causing the effect.
Character Background:
You grew up in the town of Loudwater, in a small, riverside house. The land was beautiful, and you had a very
sheltered childhood. Your fondest childhood memories are running along the riverbank with bare feet, feeling sunlight
on your face and the breeze through your hair. Your parents were kind, though you sensed there was something missing...something
beyond your experience to express in words.
Since birth, your main distinguishing feature was a pair of silvery tattoos, one on each forearm. Your parents
would not comment on them, other than to say they should remain hidden from your childhood friends. Amazingly,
all the hazards of youth never let your long sleeves slip down far enough to reveal these unusual marks.
Your grandfather, Kivan, visited you every winter, and even at that young age you began to learn the precepts of
being a monk. Kivan would talk about the endless pursuit of perfection in oneself, and how training and discipline
could bring one closer to the gods in mind and body. He recognized that someone as young as yourself was not ready
for such serious matters, though, and tried to make his lessons interesting ("snatch the pebble from my hand").
Despite his spiritual nature, Kivan seemed to be unsettled when around your parents, and avoided them as much
as possible during his visits.
When you were 11, your parents left your grandfather to care for you while they went downstream to visit the town
of Daggerford. They said they were going to sell merchandise in the town, and would be back in a month. To your
dismay, they never returned. Your grandfather was saddened by their disappearance, but did not seem surprised.
Six months after they left, in the dead of winter, your grandfather took you with him when he returned to the monastery.
It was an arduous journey, and you narrowly avoided an ambush by goblins as you neared your destination. Kivan
singlehandedly subdued half a dozen members of their warband, looking no worse for wear at the end of the battle.
You eagerly joined the Order of the Quiet Storm, a group of monks dedicated to peace and enlightenment. While
your grandfather still helped with your training, he felt you would learn better from someone else. He arranged
for a new teacher, then spent much of his time training the more advanced students.
Your new teacher, Dawnstar, had a different style of teaching from your grandfather. She felt that while you should
always strive for perfection, you must experience as much as possible of the world around you in order to achieve
true understanding. Her lessons were always mixed with stories of her travels, and you had no problems with paying
attention to her.
Other students asked about the silver markings on your arms, which could no longer be hidden by longsleeved shirts.
You came up with the explaination that they were a birthmark. In truth, though, you realized that you didn't
know either. You asked your grandfather if he knew. Kivan said, "Yes". You then asked what they were,
and he said he would tell you once your training was complete.
For the past few years, your grandfather had a feud with the Grandmaster of the order regarding the direction they
were taking. Kivan wanted to see the order become more active against the Zhentarim and other forces of evil,
while the Grandmaster preferred a philosophy of nonintervention. They exchanged heated words over this issue on
more than one occasion. The last time they argued was roughly a year ago, two days after the visit of an emissary
from Llorkh. You don't know what was discussed, but your grandfather started packing immediately. He looked very
angry, and left that night after a quick goodbye. He told you he would contact you in a few months, but had some
things to take care of, first.
The next morning, your grandfather was gone...and the Grandmaster was found dead, apparently killed by the fabled
quivering palm attack. Only an extremely accomplished monk could kill in that fashion, and only the Grandmaster
and Kivan have displayed that level of skill. The new Grandmaster immediately called for Kivan to be found and
brought back - dead or alive.
You were shocked even more than the other initiates at this news. Almost overnight, you became an outcast, shunned
by the others. Only Dawnstar continued to associate with you...and even she had her doubts about Kivan's innocence.
You even came to blows with Tavi, one of your closest friends, after she repeatedly referred to your grandfather
as a murderer. There was an investigation into the death, and a cleric was brought in to question the corpse.
Whatever answers were uncovered, they only served to further implicate Kivan.
Your grandfather contacted you in secret a few months later, and met you a few miles away from the monastery.
He told you that he did not kill the Grandmaster, and that his argument that fateful day was because the Llorkh
representative asked for aid from the monks, and the Grandmaster refused. He doesn't know who committed the murder,
but suspects it was done to frame him for the crime. Furthermore, with the Grandmaster dead, the monks are now
even more likely to avoid involvement in the outside world.
Your grandfather has met with you a few more times, each a few months apart, but neither of you have been able
to find more information about who may have murdered the Grandmaster. Your next meeting with Kivan is in about
a week, and your training is nearly complete.
All that is left is the final test, but the Order has been in no hurry to administer that test. Dawnstar has said
you should be patient, and suggested spending a few days in the nearby town of Woodhill. You agreed, thinking
that this may be a good chance to ask the townfolk what they know about the murder, and find out about any suspicious
characters that were in the area at the time. To avoid attention, you've wrapped your forearms in a traditional
fashion for a monk. Detemined, you gathered your equipment and set off for town.
Recent History:
Jalarzi's grandfather was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing, and has ascended to the title of Grandmaster.
Jalarzi discovered the deal her grandfather made with Torm, allowing her birth even though her parents had died
before she was born. The spirits of her dead parents raised her in the House of the Triad (the outer plane where
Torm resides), in a place made to look like Loudwater. Torm wanted to have someone on Faerun who could counter
the many children created by the god Bhaal, for he feared disaster when those children came of age. After striking
down the evil tiefling Sorvir, she confronted her grandfather and discovered the truth. Jalarzi now trains intensively
with her grandfather, preparing herself in case any Bhaalspawn survived the recent purge that occurred in the city
of Saradush.
Shawnsee
Female Human Rogue 5
Stats: Str 12, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 13, Armor Class 17 (+3 armor, +4 Dex), 29 Hit Points.
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +8, Will +2.
Skills (ranks/bonus): Appraise 2/+4, Balance 3/+7, Bluff 1/+2, Climb 4/+5, Decipher Script 1/+3, Diplomacy
1/+2, Disable Device 8/+10, Disguise 1/+2, Escape Artist 2/+6, Gather Information 2/+3, Hide 7/+11, Innuendo 1/+1,
Jump 3/+4, Listen 6/+6, Move Silently 7/+11, Open Lock 7/+11, Pick Pocket 5/+9, Profession (Apothecary) 2/+2, Search
8/+10, Spot 6/+6, Swim 1/+2, Tumble 5/+9, Use Magic Device 4/+5, Use Rope 1/+5.
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot.
Equipment: Ganther's Dagger, mighty composite shortbow (+1 Str max), masterwork studded leather,
masterwork thieves' tools, and an assortment of other items that vary depending on her current state of wealth.
Unique Magic Item: Ganther's Dagger (counts as the character's level-based magic item)
This dagger was created by Cormyr's greatest mage, Vandergast, using research notes he acquired from the archmage
Castanamir. It was designed to draw the soul of a willing subject into the dagger, and tie that soul to a wielder
for life. The dagger then grants abilities based upon the soul of the one bound into the dagger.
The rogue Ganther managed to get his best pupil to steal the dagger from Vandergast (along with some notes regarding
its use). Near death himself, he convinced his daughter Shawnsee to kill him with the dagger, thus binding their
souls together.
Ganther's Dagger is a level-based item. As the wielder gains in experience and lifeforce, the dagger also
gains in power. For game purposes, it should be considered a minor artifact.
| Level (Ego) | Powers |
| Default (7) | +1 enhancement bonus, intelligence (Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 14), semiempathy, read languages |
| 1st (9) | Gives +2 to all Int/Wis based rogue skills, telepathy with wielder |
| 2nd (10) | Dagger can move itself as if affected by mage hand, speech |
| 3rd (10) | +1 deflection bonus to AC (when wielded), possesses wielder for 1 round if Ego roll failed |
| 4th (12) | Gains dancing ability (1 round only) and returning ability |
| 5th (13) | +2 enhancement bonus |
| 6th (14) | Wielder heals 1 hit point on a successful critical hit in melee with the dagger |
| 7th (14) | Grants +2 deflection bonus to AC (when wielded), possesses wielder for 1 minute if Ego roll failed |
| 8th (15) | Gains dancing ability (2 rounds) |
| 9th (16) | +3 enhancement bonus |
| 10th (17) | Wielder heals 1 hit point on any successful melee attack with dagger (replaces the level 6 ability) |
| 11th (17) | +3 deflection bonus to AC (when wielded), possesses wielder for 1 hour if Ego roll failed |
| 12th (18) | Gains dancing ability (3 rounds) |
| 13th (19) | +4 enhancement bonus |
| 14th (23) | Gains life stealing ability (as per Sword of Life Stealing), can remove negative levels in place of gaining hit points if the wielder wishes |
| 15th (23) | +4 deflecting bonus to AC (when wielded), possesses wielder for 6 rounds if Ego roll failed |
| 16th (24) | Gains dancing ability (4 rounds) |
| 17th (25) | +5 enhancement bonus |
| 18th (26) | Spell resistance equal to character level +5 |
| 19th (27) | +5 deflection bonus to AC (when wielded), possesses wielder for 1 day if Ego roll failed |
| 20th (28) | Dancing ability is now unlimited (must remain within 5' of wielder) |
Character Background:
Your early days were spent in the grand city of Waterdeep. The city was so large that you found it hard to believe that there was anything beyond its walls. Your father tried to raise you well, and doted on you whenever he could. You dimly remember some good times with your mother, baking and playing with dolls. These times began to fade as you noticed a rift develop between mother and father, until they hardly spoke to one another.
Your grandfather Ganther visited once or twice in these early years, and always seemed to delight you with sleight of hand tricks, and planning small thefts such as stealing a pie away from a nearby windowsill. He would then sit with you and tell you stories...until the pie was eaten. Your father suspected what your grandfather was doing, and argued with him one night for hours, while you pretended to sleep. Ganther left the next morning, and you didn't see him again while your father was alive.
When you were six, armed guards came and took your father away. You visited him once more, as he was in jail and awaiting sentence for murder. While you were too young to understand much of what he spoke of in the few minutes he had with you, you distinctly remember that he would always consider you a good girl, and that what was about to happen wasn't your fault. Then your mother took you away, and you saw the saddened look on your father's eyes as you walked off.
The next day, your mother took you to see him hanged. She said that he died because he was unfaithful, and interfered where he shouldn't have. Over the next few months, as her money supply dwindled and she took up drinking, your mother began to sell things. Your father's jewel-encrusted chess set was the first to go, but more things quickly followed. When there was nothing left of your father's possessions in the house, she searched the seamier side of Waterdeep till she found a slaver willing to buy children. One by one, your siblings were sold off. Eventually, only you and her were left, probably because you were too young to sell. Only the most depraved buyer would purchase a seven-year old girl through the black market, and your mother hadn't found that buyer...yet.
That was when your grandfather arrived. He was enraged when he found out what happened to your siblings, and you could tell he was barely keeping his temper in check. He named a price for you that made your mother's eyes widen, and set down a large pouch of gold and gems that spilled onto the table. Your mother eagerly accepted, and Ganther immediately had you pack your things and go with him.
Ganther left you alone that night in a private inn near the house, and returned the next morning...the pouch of gems and gold attached to his belt. When you asked, he explained that anyone who would sell their own child deserved to be taught a lesson. Besides...he never liked her anyway. He was a lot calmer that morning, and you only waited for him to bathe before the two of you left the city.
You travelled in a caravan for hundreds of miles, amazed that the world was so much bigger than you originally thought. Eventually, you arrived at the city of Scornubel. Ganther had left the oldest youth in charge during his absence, and the child had done a decent job of keeping his operations going in his absence.
As grateful as you were for what Ganther had done, he started to get on your nerves after your training began. He was a harsh teacher, slapping your hands with a stick when you made a mistake pickpocketing the practice dummy. He had you associate with the soldiers, and make thefts in the outer markets before you were ready. Ganther managed to bribe your way out of jail before you were sentenced to lose a hand or something equally harsh, but you always feared that Ganther wouldn't come in time.
During your early teens, you began to make serious thefts, such as burglarizing households and stealing from merchant caravans. Your best friend during this time was Tobin, who Ganther bought shortly after you arrived in town. Tobin was an optomist, and had a real flair for rope work on the rooftops. He could run across a rope without even slowing down. You became interested in each other, but that was tragically cut short when Tobin forgot to check his equipment before a job. The rope broke on him as he was running across, and he was hanging on the side of a building when the guards caught up to him. The last thing you remember was the haunted look in his eyes as the guards closed in, and you had to flee or be caught.
You spent what spare time you had with an senile old apothecary, after convincing him you were his apprentice. Though he rambled a lot, he was a walking library when it came to his craft, and you managed to pick up a good bit before he accidentally put one of his poisons on his dinner salad instead of the pepper next to it.
Ganther was already an old man when he took you to Scornubel, and he seemed positively ancient as you hit your late teens. Though he was not a religious man, he paid clerics to visit him every so often and cast various cure spells upon him. Despite this, you knew he had perhaps a decade of life left...and he seemed to know this, too.
Finally, he came to you with plans for your greatest job, yet. "Finish this one, and we'll both be able to retire." Your mark was an advisor of Lady Ambermantle, ruler of Scornubel. The original plan was to steal a collection of rare manuscripts after seducing the advisor. It was a tricky job, as the advisor already had a fiancee, Lady Valeria. However, you were confident you could handle the job.
Tymora's luck was not anywhere near you, that fateful day. The advisor lured you upstairs during a grand ball at Valeria's residence, where he had a romantic dinner set up in, of all places, her bedroom. You played along, but drugged his wine so you could later make up a story about the passionate lovemaking you had shared. He drank a little too much...and you belatedly recalled that the particular conconction you had chosen interacted badly with alcohol. He stumbled about with his trousers around his ankles, then fell through the doors, down one of the three flights of stairs, over the railing, and onto the table with the cake for the engagement party. While it could be argued whether he died from the fall or the wine...you had little doubt that such a discussion would occur during your hanging.
You quickly grabbed Valeria's jewelbox and raced for the window at the end of the hall, where you had left a rope tied to a nearby rooftop. That's when you stumbled into a chambermaid and valet engaging in a certain recreational activity. The chambermaid screamed her head off (once her mouth was clear), and you weren't able to silence her before the entire group of guests were looking up towards the third-floor balcony. Only the chambermaid and valet saw your face...but it wouldn't take much effort to find out who killed the advisor. Without even stopping to collect your things from Ganther's warehouse, you hid yourself in a basket of silks in a merchant's wagon, and rode out of town.
You managed to make your way into the town of Soubar, where you fenced the jewelry you had stolen. However, you discovered that Valeria's jewelry was mostly colored glass...cunning fakes, but fakes nevertheless. Apparently you weren't the only one trying to pull a con that day. Still, good fakes still have value, and there were a few real gems among the set. You didn't have enough to retire, but it was still more money than you've ever made on a job.
Two weeks later, as you were enjoying your newfound wealth, the bounty hunter came into town. His name was Tarek McGristle, and you were fortunate to see him before he saw you. He started asking around town about you, saying you were a murderer. Though he appealed to people by day in the name of justice for your crimes, you quickly saw that he was just as willing to kill in order to find you, as he tortured the innkeeper into revealing where you were staying. You left town just as he was heading over to the loft you had rented the night earlier.
The next several days were agony, as you did anything you could to escape the bounty hunter. Tarek was relentless, and he had two dogs (which you overheard were a gift from his uncle) which had your scent from the loft. Finally, in desperation, you dismounted from your stolen horse and sent it up the road (your legs ached from riding it, anyway). Then, you snuck into the deeps of the Misty Forest, hoping that you could throw him off your trail...
Recent History:
Shawnsee's life changed after a visit from her grandfather. He told her he was dying, and asked for her to kill him as a final request. She did so with the enchanted dagger he provided...and ever since has been stuck with his voice in her head, offering unwanted advice and generally making a nuisance of himself. She has discovered that there is only two ways for her to be rid of Ganther - to die (and thus be imprisoned in the dagger herself), or to have Ganther's spirit placed in a new body. She now wanders Faerun trying to acquire enough cash to bring her grandfather back to life. With any luck, Ganther can avoid being killed by her when he gets his new body...
© 2002 Casey McGirt
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