Character of the Day: Lucas Depthwalker, elf ranger

Lucas Depthwalker is the opposite of everything you think of when you picture a traditional elven ranger. He eschews the longbow and favours the repeating crossbow. He prefers urban environments over the forests that have forever been linked to his people. He also happens to have worked for every Thieves guild within 100 miles of Fallcrest. Small-time hitman turned fugitive adventurer, Lucas assassinated the wrong person at the wrong time. While between jobs in Fallcrest, he received an unmarked envelope detailing a target in the local labourers guild that had been enfringing on thieves guild territory. Lucas, thinking nothing of the mysterious assignment (he had many such experiences before), stalked his target for days before finally getting the chance to strike. Two bolts to the back, as is his style. But investigating the body revealed the assignment for what it truly was. He had just assassinated the lord mayor’s closest nephew, who was in high standing in the labourers guild. Lucas had arrogantly assumed he was just a nobody noble. A quick look into the source of his assignment revealed a frame job, but he didn’t have the time nor resources to track down who had set him up.

Lucas fled the city, sure of the fact that the authorities would hunt him like a dog. He has taken to the forests once again, hoping to use his urban knowledge for good use in the wilds. He has hooked up with an adventuring party, hoping that the prevalence of such groups in the world would draw less attention to him until he could afford to seek out the one who put him in this miserable position.

The background’s a little weak, but I like the idea of a ranger with rogue-ish talents. I also have never seen a character with a repeating crossbow outside of Warhammer Fantasy.

I’m thinking my next go will be a warforged druid. “Beast Wars”, anyone?

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
Lucas Depthwalker, level 1
Elf, Ranger
Fighting Style: Archer Fighting Style

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 17, Con 10, Dex 18, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 17, Con 10, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8.

AC: 17 Fort: 14 Reflex: 15 Will: 11
HP: 22 Surges: 6 Surge Value: 5

TRAINED SKILLS
Nature +8, Stealth +8, Endurance +4, Perception +8, Athletics +7, Thievery +8

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +3, Arcana, Bluff -1, Diplomacy -1, Dungeoneering +1, Heal +1, History, Insight +1, Intimidate -1, Religion, Streetwise -1

FEATS
Level 1: Sneak of Shadows

POWERS
Ranger at-will 1: Nimble Strike
Ranger at-will 1: Twin Strike
Ranger encounter 1: Singular Shot
Ranger daily 1: Hunt’s End

ITEMS
Repeating crossbow, Hide Armor, Adventurer’s Kit, Climber’s Kit, Handaxe
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======

Character of the Day: Wil Sturm, human paladin

This is what will hopefully be a regular series of posts. The basic idea behind it is I will create and post a fully developed level 1 character, with at least one paragraph of back story. It won’t always be daily, but I’m aiming for three a week. That’s about one every other day.

Usually the character will be based upon a miniature, otherwise it will just be an awesome (in my mind) concept I thought of. To kick it off, meet Wil Sturm, human paladin of Kord, based on the Pentifex Monolith miniature.

Wil was born for battle. Born into a family fully devoted to Kord, god of  storms, he was trained from the moment he could walk to uphold the values of the lord of battle. His mentor, the eccentric dwarven cleric Morgran Stonecaller , filled Wil’s mind with the concepts of pride in battle and glory in victory. He gifted the family’s bastard sword to him upon his 18th birthday, and rigorously trained him in its use. Wil seemed ready to take on his duties as a protector of his town, when a strange occurance marked him for greater things.

On one of his regular sojourns into the wilderness with Morgran, Wil was gathering materials for setting up camp. With not a cloud in the sky, divine lightning struck the sword strapped to his back. The weapon was torn from its sheath and embedded into a nearby tree, while Wil himself was thrown to the ground. Amazingly, not a mark was left by the searing lightning. The sword, sparks dancing across the blade, seemed to have become more than just a sword, but upon Wil removing it from the tree, it reverted to its original appearance.

Leaving the town with Morgran and his family’s blessing, Wil now wanders the world on a pilgramage to awaken his blade once more, and determine what exactly Kord has planned for him.

And there you have it. I probably won’t ever use this character, as I am the only person seemingly willing to DM in my group. But I hope the concept inspires something, anything in you.

Stay tuned for my next character concept, what I’m thinking is going to be an elven or eladrin rogue.

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
Wil Sturm, level 1
Human, Paladin

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 17, Con 11, Dex 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 16.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 17, Con 11, Dex 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 14.

AC: 10 Fort: 15 Reflex: 12 Will: 15
HP: 26 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 6

TRAINED SKILLS
Heal +6, Religion +5, Endurance +5, Intimidate +8, Insight +6

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics, Arcana, Bluff +3, Diplomacy +3, Dungeoneering +1, History, Nature +1, Perception +1, Stealth, Streetwise +3, Thievery, Athletics +3

FEATS
Human: Human Perseverance
Level 1: Weapon Proficiency (Bastard sword)

POWERS
Paladin at-will 1: Valiant Strike
Paladin at-will 1: Enfeebling Strike
Human: Holy Strike
Paladin encounter 1: Fearsome Smite
Paladin daily 1: Paladin’s Judgment

ITEMS
Bastard sword, Plate Armor, Heavy Shield, Pouch, Belt (empty), Sunrods (2), Waterskin, Flint and Steel, Flask (empty)
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======