Cool Stuff - I made some Cool Stuff for my game. Use this link to get them for yourself.
With the third edition rules out, most of these are a bit out of date, but some are still excellent roleplaying aids.
Okay, on to one of my favorite subjects. I love AD&D. I don't know what it is about the gamer that makes me like it so much. It is just a game, and I
treat it as such. I just love creating rich and detailed characters in amazing and exciting adventures. One of these days. I'd like to try to write a
trashy paperback adventure novel set in the Forgotten Realms.
One of the things I really like about the latest set of optional rules is the Skills and Powers expansion. This lets you create characters with many
different skills, and weaknesses, so they just aren't the standard cookie cutter character. I've created some very concise character sheets to use with
these options.
Use the link above to get at them.
Here's the story on my favorite character. This is basically the justification for why he is the way he is. He has done
the first two parts of the Randal Morn series. We are looking for a DM to take us through the rest of the modules (our's moved). My wife, Jason, and
I are in the group so far (2 rangers and a specialty priest of Tempus).
Well, here's the story:
Larian was born in Leuthilspar, on the island of Evermeet. His father is the Grand Master of
Longswords, Correlis Le’Quella (CG em F9), and his mother is Kyanis (CG ef R7) a Wild elf. Larian has a couple of very famous grand-parents, namely
his father’s father, Lord Alinar Le’Quella (CG em F13), and his mother’s father, Skalanis (CG em R14). All these people spent a great deal of time
with Larian as he was growing up, and taught him many of their skills. His mother’s family was responsible for his independent and
solitary nature. He spent a lot of his early life with the Wild elves, and this was when he decided that he wanted to be a Ranger. During a coming to
adulthood ceremony, he had a vision in a meditation lodge of a great bear leading him through a tangled forest and a treacherous cave network. His
mother’s tribe took this as a sign meaning that his totem animal is a bear. This didn’t surprise Kyanis or Skalanis, since Larian was already showing
his great physical strength. To honor his totem animal, Larian had a tattoo put on his left bicep (closest to his heart).
After he had learned the ways of the woods, Larian decided to learn the ways of the sword from his father. He studied the longsword very diligently,
and even mastered the difficult Bladesong technique. On top of that, he even learned how to use longswords and the Bladesong in both hands at the same
time! His intense efforts weren’t without sacrifice though. Since he studied so hard on just a few weapons, he can only use a very limited group with
any proficiency, and can’t handle any. He considers that a small price to pay for the harmony he has achieved with the Bladesong and the longsword.
He has a tattoo of a longsword on his right bicep. (Unbeknownst to Larian, both his tattoos were endowed with magic by the Create Enchanted Tattoo
spell and having Totem Sisters put them on him with their special magic.) Due to his dual upbringing, he tends to look and carry himself like a
Moonelf, but dress and act like a Wild elf. While at his father’s house in Leuthilspar, he also received the education that a Noble born
elf would normally receive. He studied the Arts with the house matriarch Huquethae (NG ef W18), and convinced her that, should he be able to gather
the proper materials, she would enchant a composite short bow for him. He knows that he needs Pegasus tail hair, given freely, for the string. It
will also require an evil wizard’s Wand of Magic Missiles taken from his hand while he is still conscious, bone from a female Manticore killed by one
blow, leather from a white Displacer Beast’s hide, Yew wood from a tree hit by lightning, Shadowtop wood from a tree taller than 400 feet, and
Duskwood from a tree growing at a battle site. There are other materials that are required, but Huquethae said that he will know them when he sees
them, so she wouldn’t reveal them yet. Larian also learned some of the arts of diplomacy and warfare with his grandfather. Larian
was made a Lieutenant in the army of Leuthilspar, and trained in the martial arts as a scout (adding to his already considerable tracking skills).
As a Lieutenant, he is in charge of a six person guerrilla strike team. The team consists of other Rangers, all versed in Bladesong, longswords, and
bows. He also attended the Queen’s court with his grandfather. After attending court with Lord Alinar several times, and hearing of the evil
Zhentarim, Larian decided that he wanted to go to Faerun, and fight these evil men. Larian feels that the elves belong back on Faerun as a major
race, as in the days of Myth Drannor. Once evil men have been conquered, elves and the other races can live in harmony again. Since Larian was
so young (barely one hundred), his elders decided to humor him and allowed him to go to the mainland. Larian’s first encounter with
humans was with the captain of the "Mist-Walker", Carreigh Macumail (CG hm F8). During the two week voyage to Waterdeep, Larian and Carreigh became
good friends, and often stayed up many a night discussing happenings in the Realms. After only a few days at sea, Larian accidentally ran in to
Karsel’lyn Lylyl-Lytherraias (CG e(drow)f C12) (she was suffering from seasickness, and Larian heard her). After his initial shock, and a quick
intervention by Carreigh, Larian came to like the renegade Drow. Her addition to the late night discussions helped cement Larian and Carreigh’s
friendship. During this time, Larian also learned about the worshipers of Eilistraee, and has added the goal of brining as many Drow to her side,
or any other good deity, as he can. When the "Mist-Walker" finally arrived in Waterdeep, Larian had a small adventure saving Karsel’lyn from the
Drow assassin known as Mourn. Although Larian was no match for Mourn, serendipity played in his favor. After spending a bit of time
in Waterdeep, to see what human culture had to offer, Larian made straight for Snowmantle. Finn MacCool (NG hem B), a crew member of the
"Mist-Walker", decided to join Larian on his quest. They have become good friends, and Finn has been "immortalizing" Larian in song and deed.
Finn decided to take up Larian’s worthy quest of ridding the world of the Zhentarim and other evil influences. Located close to Zhentil Keep and
Shadowdale, Larian figured Snowmantle would give them a perfect location to conduct operations. While on their trip, Larian and Finn guarded
caravans for various costers and learned all they could about Faerun. It was during these travels that Larian saw a unicorn (possibly an Avatar of
Mielikki) and was convinced by Mielikki to help save the forests of Faerun and defeat the unnatural evil creatures of the world and join her
priesthood. She presented him with a special Holy Symbol to show his relationship with his Goddess, a jade field inlaid with ivory in the shape
of a unicorn. According to Finn, the symbol contains magic of some sort. Larian has developed tastes for certain foods and drinks
during his travels. As an elf, he prefers wine, especially Evermead, Feywine, or Elverquisst, but will settle for Saerloonian Glowfire or Berduskan
Dark. When feeling particularly wild, as he is wont to do from time to time, he will drink beer, preferring Tanagyr’s Stout or Old One Eye, but he
will also drink Shadowdale Ale or Dragon’s Breath Beer. For cheeses to travel with, he likes Mist Cheese or Elturian Grey, but again, if all that
is available is Vilhon Blanc or Death Cheese (the latter with Dragon’s Breath Beer), he’ll take it. When he eats cheese, Larian also likes to have
bread. His favorites are Elvenbread or Blackbread, but he will eat whatever hasn’t spoiled (such is the life of an adventurer). Unlike his
grandfather, Larian likes to hunt and eat meat. His favorite meals include roast quail, roast boar, and mutton; and he has developed a taste for
venison and fish also. As an enemy of the Black Network, Larian has taken to disguising himself in the Snowmantle and Daggerdale
area. With his slight elven build (compared to humans), and very pale complexion, he likes to disguise himself as a poor, sickly human that wanders
the woods in a state of confusion and madness. In this guise he can appear as a harmless madman in rags, while actually fully armed and armored,
and gathering information to plan his next strike. Finn uses his natural charm and Bard abilities to get information from the locals, and passes
that along to Larian. As of late, his and Finn’s activities against Zhentarim caravans has forced the Black Network to increase their guards,
and actively hunt down the "vengeful elven sword". Since things are getting a little more complex and dangerous than Larian or Finn expected,
they have decided to go to Shadowdale, and try to join the Harpers. Their goals are very similar to the Harper goals, so they figure any
association will be beneficial. Most who meet Larian find him mercurial, one moment serious and somber, and the next moment
getting into a tavern brawl. This is part of Larian’s dual nature as half Silver and half Green elf. He likes to live it up, but is also very
determined to make a place for an elven kingdom on Faerun like in the days of old. Myth Drannor has a strong pull on Larian, and he wishes to
visit the city of his family’s ancestral home. He has heard the elders of the Le’Quella family speaking of a Moonblade, by the name of
"Demon Death" that was lost when the city fell, and he really wishes to recover it for his grandfather.
When Larian and Finn finally made it to Shadowdale, they headed straight for the residence of Storm Silverhand, the most famous and well known
Harper in the dales. When they got to her house, she wasn’t home, but they were greeted by Angharad (NG ef W), and apprentice of Storm’s that
had just returned from her schooling in Waterdeep. After some discussion on what to do, the three of them decided to head to the Old Skull
Inn and see if they could find some employment in the service of the Harpers. On the way there, they met Lietel Cinderdane (CG ef R) at the
news post. Lietel had just quit the Company of the Silver Dagger, and was also looking for some gainful employment. At the Old Skull Inn,
Laheo (Elminster’s Scribe) hired them to retrieve the Sword of the Dales and rescue Randal Morn, the rightful ruler of Daggerdale.
Laheo gave them some healing potions, a map to the Giant’s Craw (where the tomb of Shraevyn, the sword, and Randal Morn were all at), and a
magical sword. He also gave them all horses to ride and a promise of land deeds in Shadowdale.
Cool Stuff - I made some Cool Stuff for my game. Use this link to get them for yourself.
With the third edition rules out, most of these are a bit out of date, but some are still excellent roleplaying aids.
This
DARK RING site is owned by
Steve's AD&D Page.
