The Griffin's Crier

I'm planning to start working on Rex's conversion to 5E this week. So while I was thinking about him, I started thinking about what he'd be doing. We all know during his downtime he's found at Malcanthet's Den cracking the skulls of anyone who gets out of line.

However, Rex is a sword for hire. While the Blackrazor guild kept him busy for a while, this war is certainly cut down on the adventuring opportunities. So the way I figure it, he would have sought out General Tanevir to join the ranks.

In his downtime he'd be back at the Den. However instead of cracking skulls, he'd be persuading anyone who got out of line to join the Expeditionary Force.

Thoughts/suggestions/comments?

At this point, isn't the war more or less over? I haven't done anything to advance the timeline in a while, so I don't recall where we left it after the death of Turrosh Mak. The assumption in the back of my head is that things were in the process of falling apart for the Orcish Empire -- no clear successor to Mak, Stonehiem being torn apart by a dimensional evil, warfare breaking out amongst the humanoid tribes as old grievances resurface, etc.

At some point it was stated that the Mages of the Obsidian Tower re-sealed the Horror of Stonehiem. Then the last thing written on the war was from Nate's Nuke(m)Con 2010 adventure: http://wiki.griffcrier.com/index.php?ti ... _had_Stood

Reading between the two I figured that the armies of the Orcish Empire retreated to the ruins of their Capital (The Tower has no real reason to hold the ruins, since they now hold the key to the horror's cage.) The Domain of OB is securing their lands, with most of the Orcish empire fleeing west. I'm sure OB also has forces assisting their allies to old the Orcish Empire at the Lortmils and the Suss forest. Highport is also in a state of Civil War, so forces will have to be dedicated there as well. Finally, per Nate's notes OB is looking to take Stonehiem before the end of 592.

That all said, I'm not sure when you were planning the Nuke(m)Con adventure to take place. So this could all be for background... but hey, more flavor test for Rex's entry.

As an aside, I would love to wargame some of these campaigns against the orcs & humanoid masses using Hordes of the Things, a simple fast-play fantasy wargame. If there is interest, I'll do a crash-painting-program to get something field-able...

Damon.

Rex's sword Mistdream (gotta look up the elvish word for it) is a +2 mithral, misting, merciful longsword. There's no such thing as non-lethal damage in 5e correct? Just a choice to kill or knock out when you reduce a target to 0?

Mithral is still a thing, though not for weapons so I guess that's flavor text. I think misting was also just flavor text? We could say that merciful is a flaw of the weapon in that it will never deal a killing blow? Thus Mistdream would only be a +2 longsword with a bunch of flavor text and wouldn't need attunement?

Hardcorhobbs wrote:Mithral is still a thing, though not for weapons so I guess that's flavor text. I think misting was also just flavor text? We could say that merciful is a flaw of the weapon in that it will never deal a killing blow? Thus Mistdream would only be a +2 longsword with a bunch of flavor text and wouldn't need attunement?

I like that! Special rule that if the attack reduces the target to 0 hit points, it instead renders them unconscious. Really flavorful and an interesting magic quality for 5e...

Damon.

STR 19 DEX 15 CON 15 INT 13 WIS 10 CHA 10

HP 124 AC 23 (18 armor +1 FS defense +4 shield) Prof. Bonus: +5

Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution

Feats: Durable, Great Weapon Master, Heavy Armor Master, Tavern Brawler

Fighter Features: Fighting style - defense, Second Wind, Action Surge 1/day, Martial Archetype - Battlemaster, Superiority Dice - 6, Extra Attack x2, Student of War, Know your Enemy, Indomitable 2/day, Improved Combat Superiority (d10), Relentless

Maneuvers: Feinting Attack, Lunging Attack, Parry, Precision Attack, Pushing Attack, Riposte, Sweeping Attack, Trip Attack, Menacing Attack

Background Feature: Military Rank

Skills: Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Insight

Tool Proficiencies: Gaming - dice, Vehicles (land)

Languages: Common, Dwarven

Magic Items:
Blue Ice Chainmail - +2 cold resistance armor, Can cast Flame Shield (cold damage) 1/day - painful flaw (Requires Attunement)
Mistdream (in elven) - +2 mithral longsword, misting, only causes knock-out blows
Storm - +2 Mace, per flame tongue but lightning damage, can cast Conjure Elemental (air) 1/day (Requires Attunement)
Greater Iron Mask - +2 Wisdom, can cast Bane 1/day (Requires Attunement)
Halberd of Flame - +2, per flame tongue (Requires Attunement)
+2 Longsword
+2 Longbow
Morningstar of Thunder - +2, per flame tongue but thunder damage (Requires Attunement)
Adamantium Breastplate - +3
Heavy Steel Shield - +2
Cloak of Altitude Adjustment - as per necklace (Requires Attunement)
Amulet of Natural Armor +3 (???)
Ring of Sustenance (???)
Ring of Endure Elements (???)
Gloves of Dexterity (???)
Slippers of Spiderclimbing (Requires Attunement)
Cloak of Resistance +2 (???)
Heward’s Handy Haversack
Potion of Barkskin x2 (???)
Potion of Bullstrength x3 (???)
Potion of Enlarge (???)
Potion of Rage (???)
Potion of Haste (???)

Other possessions: caltrops, chain, crowbar, flint & steel, grappling hook, hammer, bullseye lantern, lock (good), masterwork manacles, small steel mirror, silk rope, sledge, whetstone, sunrod x5, holy water, masterwork whip, Black Seeker tunic, cold weather gear, winter blanket, daggers x4

The magic items with (???) behind them I still need to work-out. I forgot how many weapons Rex collected!

STR 19 DEX 15 CON 15 INT 13 WIS 10 CHA 10

HP 124 AC 21 (17 armor +1 FS defense +3 shield) Prof. Bonus: +5

Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution

Feats: Durable, Great Weapon Master, Heavy Armor Master, Tavern Brawler

Fighter Features: Fighting style - defense, Second Wind, Action Surge 1/day, Martial Archetype - Battlemaster, Superiority Dice - 6, Extra Attack x2, Student of War, Know your Enemy, Indomitable 2/day, Improved Combat Superiority (d10), Relentless

Maneuvers: Feinting Attack, Lunging Attack, Parry, Precision Attack, Pushing Attack, Riposte, Sweeping Attack, Trip Attack, Menacing Attack

Background Feature: Military Rank

Skills: Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Insight

Tool Proficiencies: Gaming - dice, Vehicles (land)

Languages: Common, Dwarven

Magic Items:
Blue Ice Chainmail - +1 cold resistance armor, Can cast Flame Shield (cold damage) 1/day - painful flaw (Requires Attunement)
Heavy Steel Shield - +1
Mistdream (in elven) - +1 mithral longsword, misting, only causes knock-out blows
Storm - +1 Mace, per flame tongue but lightning damage, can cast Conjure Elemental (air) 1/day (Requires Attunement)
+1 Longbow
Greater Iron Mask - +2 Wisdom, can cast Bane 1/day (Requires Attunement)
Slippers of Spiderclimbing (Requires Attunement)
Gloves of Dexterity (???) - Gloves of Thievery?
Heward’s Handy Haversack
Potion of Bullstrength x3 = potion of Frost/Stone Giant Strength
Potion of Enlarge = potion of growth
Potion of Haste = potion of speed

Other possessions: caltrops, chain, crowbar, flint & steel, grappling hook, hammer, bullseye lantern, lock (good), masterwork manacles, small steel mirror, silk rope, sledge, whetstone, sunrod x5, holy water, masterwork whip, Black Seeker tunic, cold weather gear, winter blanket, daggers x4

Other Magical Gear / Options
Halberd of Flame - +1, per flame tongue (Requires Attunement)
+1 Longsword
Morningstar of Thunder - +1, per flame tongue but thunder damage (Requires Attunement)
Adamantium Breastplate - +2
Cloak of Altitude Adjustment - as per necklace (Requires Attunement)
Amulet of Natural Armor +3 (???)
Ring of Sustenance (???)
Ring of Endure Elements (???)
Cloak of Resistance +2 (???) - cloak of protection (Requires Attunement)?
Potion of Rage (???) - Potion of heroism?
Potion of Barkskin x2 (???)

Updated Rex for new magic weapon chart. Not sure if I'd bring Storm or the Iron Mask. Right now I think both of those, the armor, and the glove swap need peer approval.