Character Creation Is My Favorite Part Of D&D
My eyes were first blinded by a bright light of the new world having come from the weird dark space area of the gods. Letting my eyes readjust, I start to look around in amazement of my surroundings. A classic wooden carriage pulled by a horse passes me by as I look at the brick houses lining the entire town. One thing to note that even the air here feels cleaner compared to home world. It was like entering a D&D town!
Citizens wearing classic peasant clothes walking about, I even saw a few holding weapons and wore fantastical armor.
This is amazing! Can't wait to start! I silently cheered in my head. Raising my hands in the air. Thank you for all my experiences Olivia, you will not be forgotten!!!
My internal hype sessions was unfortunately cut short by a mass of blue-goddess as she grabs me by the cuff of my shirt and shakes me back and forth with unintelligible whining. The physical contact reminded me that I was in fact with someone else, and that'd probably looked like an idiot at that moment. The brief second of realization making me self-conscious and clam up.
"........................" I try to speak up in annoyance, yet the words fail to come out.
Sheesh, if you hate it so much, you can go back home.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! I'm in trouble because I CAN'T go back! What am I suppose to do from now on!" Tearing up, it's honestly quite pitiful really seeing this display. Oh, it appears she can still hear my thoughts. "Hey! Don't call me pitiful! Am still a goddess you know! One of the main religions in this world to!"
I look over in my hand and saw the stone Aqua has given me is still in it, which she is honestly thankful for since it makes talking to her easier. Oh, that remind me, aren't you suppose to give me something to start this adventure? At least some money to buy some things?
"Why would I have anything to give you? You brought me along before I had time to get my purse or personal items. The only thing I have is my staff and those 'Sending Stones' I brought out beforehand. Which is why you need to send me back!" Aqua continues to berate.
Being in a public area, my body refuses to cooperate with me to hold out my hand to a placating fashion.
Look, just calm down, Goddess Aqua. It's times like these when you have to head to the town inn, perhaps even a bar.
That's usually how it worked in most of the D&D campaigns I've played, where you mind missions from either the town bar from heresy or from town hall.
"What? In towns in this world, adventures find work and jobs in the Adventure's Guild, why would you go to a bar?" Aqua questions.
Is that how it works here? Mmm.... Either way, how do we get there?
"How would I know? I just send people here after giving them the spark notes summary of the worlds lore."
YOU----- Mentally shaking my fist in my mind, I mellow my words out before berating the clearly ignorant and childish god.
Fine, let's just walk around a bit and see if we pass it.
Running into it actually wasn't that hard to do after leaning the trick to follow where the armored and weapons wielding population density was biggest. The second I opened the doors to the guild, I noticed a clear section of it is divided into tables to serve food and ale.
Ha! I knew the place for missions had to be a bar. Even in JRPG you can't escape that staple. Seeing where the receptionist desk it, I walk over to it to see an orange haired woman.
Wow, this must be a fantasy world, the size of those melons are OBNOXIOUS. Something I tried to not think about till now was how all the women seemed to dress. It was all really... impractical. Cleavage windows was expected, the sheer amount of exposed of skin is just screaming to get pervy looks and taken advantage off by monster attacks. Looking at the name plate on the table, I learn her name. Luna, nice name.
It was Luna that spoke first, "Hello, how may I help you today?" The receptions inquires.
"..............Um.............." Shit! This is suppose to be my moment! ".......Ah.........."
This goes on for several more painful seconds before I have to use a lifeline and phone a friend. AQUA! HELP ME OUT HERE!
"Geez, fine you bundle of anxiety. But I better be repaid with offerings of wine!" Aqua teases as she grabs my shoulder from behind and pushing me to the side to talk to Luna.
"Hello, me and my friend here would like to become adventurers."
"Ah, well in that case you will have to pay the registration fee." Luna responds with practiced ease.
Ah shoot, we haven money or anything to barter. Try to bargain with her by saying if they allow us to sign up for free now, we will complete a monster subjugation mission for free.
(NAT 20 Persuasion) "Don't you know who I am? Am--" In a rare moment of intelligence, Aqua decided against telling her she was a goddess, deciding appearing a humble and desperate human would be better. "Am... Were people who are competent, if you could allow us to register for free, we would gladly do a mission, absolutely free."
Luna, in a rare instance of sympathy, decided to humor the duo. The two were humble enough and seemed to carry themselves competently. The reward for the quest well makes up for the fee if they could complete it, and Luna decided they likely aren't being sent to their deaths.
"Okay, I'd be fine with that, but you'd have to do the Giant Toad subjugation quest, okay?" Luna proceeded to come out from behind the counter, making her way to stand in-font of us before giving off what was probably her mandatory introduction speech.
"Adventurer's each have their own occupation. This..." Luna holding up something the size of a flashcard, "... is your registration card. It keeps track of how many monsters you've defeated. As your level increases, you'll earn points you can use to learn skills, so please work hard to level up. So if you would please, place your hand on the device here to measure your aptitude and printing of your card."
I decided to go first, the excitement wanting me to see the results as fast as possible! Upon putting my hand not he device, it quickly starting etching my stats onto he card like a 3D printer.
"With this, you will each learn your current status, so please choose your desired occupation based on your stats.... Eh?"
As Luna was explaining how the card works, she takes a glance at the creation process, unsure of what she was seeing. Even without looking at the stats, Luna can see that fundamental structure and layout was completely different from usual.
Upon the card finishing its creation, Luna swiftly takes and reads it over. "What is wrong with your status card? No other adventurer ever had a card look like this? What even are these stats, Constitution, Dexterity, Charisma? I don't even see your mana anywhere, all I see are these 'spell slots." As luna ponders the card, I take a peek over and look at it.
The card has taken the structure of a form I was all too familiar with, a classic D&D 5e character creation sheet. Nothing appeared to be written on it other than my ability scores.
Proficiency Bonus: 2
Strength: 13
Dexterity: 15
Constitution: 14
Intelligene: 16
Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 3
Human: +1 All traits
Background: Urchin
What the hell! Why is my charisma so low! And why is my background Urchin! Is that how the world considered me for being an orphan, what a load of shit.
Ignoring my horrendous charisma aside, all my other stats seem really, really, good. The role-play section which has your characters personality traits, ideals, and flaws was luckily not included, thank god for that. Other than that, it seems the sheet was left entirely untouched.
Luna seems to be done appraising the card, before frowning at the sight. "As unique as your card looks, the stats that are present don't appear to be very high. Your highest stat is a 16, and even normal adventures starting off usually has a stat numbering in the mid 20s, or even rare 30+.
Excuse me, all of those stats are really good for a lv. 1 character!
Having heard enough of her ignorant disapproval of my stats, I swiftly take the card from her hand to personalize analyze it, allowing Aqua to get her own appraisal done.
With these stats, I could be a good barbarian, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, ranger, rogue, or even a wizard. Although with my sh*t charisma, that basically leaves any hope for bards, paladins, sorcery, and warlocks dead in the water.
But which class would be best? Aqua definitely comes off as a healer character, so what we need to a good source of damage. A close quarters brawler as a fighter would work, but leaves little to no range potential. They're only so much you can do with 2 arms, whether that be attacking or defending. The same can be said for barbarians and monks. Rogue would leave aqua undefended, and a wizard would leave our duo supper squishy.
What I need is flexibility.
A good allrounder which can adapt and build as the need arises, I determine. Looking over at Aqua, I notice that she is getting lot more fan fair for her supposedly high stats.
Bah, I bet if we my stats showed a proper conversion, they would be just as excited. Oh well, their loss.
Getting back on track, the presence of Aqua does change things. For however shameful she it, I cannot deny the fact that she is a real god. With such a close proximity, and the classes general flexibility to be built for close, mid, or longe range combat, the class of 'cleric' honestly seems like the best pic. It was a class I wanted to be anyway and the one I wished to be back in the space-god-room anyway.
I chose Tempest Cleric, to be more specific. With a water goddess at my side, I already see good synergies with just the two of us alone. Designed to harness the elements and storms to slay enemies which good options or all areas of need.
And so, I scribbled into the class section the name of my class, upon giving me more options in which I filled out.
Current Hit Points: 10/10
Skills:
-History
-Insight
-Medicine
-Sleight of Hand
-Stealth
Proficiencies & Skills:
-Simple/Martial weapons
-Small/Medium/Heavy Armor
-Shields
-Disguise Kit
-Theives' Tools
What the skills mean is that when I do an action involving one of those skills, I get to add my proficiency bonus (+2) to the roll.
So if I were to try and sneak past an enemy, let's say I needed to roll a 16 or higher. I would roll a 20 sided die (d20), and hypothetically I rolled a 15. Because I am good in the chosen skill 'Stealth,' I get to add a current +2 bonus to that roll, making the roll 17, allowing me to sneak past undetected.
I also filled out my prepared spell list, though I won't go too much detail on those until l I use them, I can always change which ones I have to use later.
This is an aspect I quite like about the cleric, the fact that they are very versatile. From what I heard about RPG's from my friends back home, using skill points to unlock spell-like-moves is mostly permanent and locked. For a cleric, I have access to my entire spell range from the start, but I can only cast from a choice of 4-5 right now at a given time. Luckily, I can only change that list later when I sleep for a good healthy 8 hours, which makes the Class extremely versatile. And both aspects only increase as I level up.
Oh? Theirs more?
Upon finishing my prepared spell list and skill proficiencies, the card is giving me options for starting equipment.
I'm surprised this aspect of the character creation still works. At least it's convenient for me.
From the selection given for my class and background. I managed to start with the following items:
-Mace
-Light crossbow, 20 bolts
-Explorers pack
-Shield (+2 AC)
-Dagger
-Chain mail (+16 AC)
-Hempen rope, 50 ft.
-10 gp
You can feel the American in this, with rope being in feet. Just embrace the metric system already...
After all I said and done, I finalized my choices and slid the card back into my pocket. In which case caused all my chosen equipment to suddenly appear on my body all at once. My body covered head-toe in chain other than at important bending points. A backpack with all my assumed equipment, hanging off of it my rope, a bed roll, and my light crossbow.
In my right hand is a mace, a traditional looking one, nothing too fancy. In my left was an equally average round circular shield.
A classic start to to the D&D campaign. At least the starting quest isn't the usual goblin subjugation.
All finished, I called out to Aqua to see if she's ready to leave, noticing now the crowd gathering around her. It seems the celebration of her high status turned into her performing some, trick(?) with a fan sprouting water with the crows cheering each time.
Works out for me, since it appears nobody noticed the equipment quite literally materialize on my body.
Digging into my pocket, I grab the Sending Stone which Aqua gave me, hoping she still has the other one,
Hey! Aqua! Enough showing off! We gotta get started on our quest if we ever hope to defeat this Devil King!
I waited a moment to see if she could hear me thoughts if she still had the other stone, and for a moment I thought she didn't. Though, after a minute of continuous tricks, she stood on top of a table looking down on the crowd.
"Thank you all my dear audience! As much as I'd love to stay, the call to adventure awaits!" Performing one last nature's blessing with her fans, creating the biggest water spurt yet.
"We believe in you Aqua!"
"The birth a new Arch Priest! The Devil king won't know what hit em!"
"Take care of your odd friend, she's gonna need it!"
The crowd started laughing at that particular last comment, which ticked me off.
I'm standing right here! Don't talk as if I'm not present!
With some final goodbyes, Aqua makes her way to the exit of the guild, me already ahead of her. And as we both make it outside, we start to head to outside the city's gates.