New Norwick, New Plot: The Favored (Character planning/discussion thread)
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Since some folks have already inquired about character ideas...
Welcome to...
A war-scarred land...
Long ago a clan of cursed barbarians cleared a hillside near an ancient wood, and despite the terrible odds, their sun-dappled fields of grain spread. The town prospered and suffered across a century of seasons until the day the Zhentarim Flux erupted from beneath and rained from above. In the blink of an eye, generations of progress sank into the riven earth.
It may be pride or foolishness, but the people of Norwick have returned. Catherine D'Cameron and her Chancellor's Men steer the reconstruction. They've overseen sales of timber to Peltarch and have recruited fresh-faced guards for the defense of the town. But theirs isn't the only vision: the undaunted Ivan Norwick, a descendant of leaders past, has presented himself as D'Cameron's opposition. His Norwick True coalition criticize the current leadership's uneven reliance on Peltarch and question whether one can trust the word of a man like King Thalaman. Meanwhile the Church of Kelemvor has sent a doomguide to construct a new temple. Possessing a single-mind for their sworn duties, the revived temple has distanced itself from the townsfolk's mundane struggles.
Tales by the fireside speak of more ill tidings gathering in the woods. Awakened trees and beasts, the druid circle's wartime guardians, cannot tell the difference between a Zhent logger or an honest Norwickian. Reemerging from their mines, the goblin tribes of the west have stopped their infighting under a new king. Beyond the lake, an industrious clan of hobgoblins have overthrown the empire of the late bugbear king, and all watch where their soldiers will march next.
The newly opened Inn of the Mirthful Cup hosts spirited wanderers from afar, each seeking their fortunes amidst the Zhentarim wreckage. Their callings are myriad: some sought the unknown at the edge of the map, some are natives returning home with a desire to make a difference. A scant few of this number will soon earn a name for themselves like none other: and that may indeed be you, our daring PCs!_
The Favored, Chapter I: The Edge of the Map
OOC ON! Hi! I'm excited and thankful for the chance to DM the introduction of the new Norwick! I have fond memories of the old town and woods, and I can't wait to move its story forward with you. We'll be following the Moonreach model here, integrating DMed story with the roll-out of re-designed maps.
For this campaign, you'll be rolling a new, level one PC. Character options are fairly wide, but I have a couple of guidelines:
- Your PC will be among the favored of a god of your choice, from any humanoid pantheon of the Forgotten Realms. Note this is favored not champion: you don't have to play a divine class, and your PC doesn't even have to know or trust their status yet. Heck, they don't even have to like it, as many chosen of evil gods will attest. But even now at level one, something about their personality, their talents, or their way of doing business has a way of serving some deity's purposes. They may find kindness or invention come easily, or they may feel pursued even when they're alone. Perhaps it's caused rifts of jealousy or roused suspicion throughout their life.
- Ideally, I'd like to place a limit of one PC per deity for variety. I'm hoping for a diverse group so that PCs will witness the story from more than a few angles.
- We're dealing with small town attitudes here, so I don't think we'll be able to work in monstrous PCs (outside of the currently available PC race options).
- You are welcome to tie your PC to server lore, but unlike the Moonreach campaign, please don't presume group/org membership quite yet. Do speak with me if you have an idea that we might make work.
The ETA for the campaign is May 9th. To maximize inclusion, my intention is to treat this more like a PnP campaign, and opportunities to advance the main plot will be scheduled - generally Saturdays, 1-5pm Eastern US time (aka, the usual). There may be occasional side-quests and such, but as a weekender myself, I'll try to remain conscious and consistent in balancing opportunities.
Outside of scheduled events: we're starting at low levels to test the new Norwick offerings as we go. These offerings include quests, crafting, and the ability to join Norwick-centered factions without DM-intervention. So feel free to partake with this character or any other.
If you're interested, reply here to hash out ideas about character concepts with others and claim your deity. You are not required to make your favored's divine connection public knowledge at this time, but I will appreciate a heads-up. Also, as a DM, I love backgrounds but they aren't mandatory. A paragraph or two before our first session would allow me to plan accordingly, but if you prefer the exploratory approach to character, I can meet you there.
Additional Threads:
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Without going into too much detail on backstory or the God that favours him, I am considering rolling a Hawksong Moon Elven Arcane Archer. In terms of combat, it will be primarily a ranged DPS.
