Application - Fade Rift

[sorcerised]

PLAYER

Name: Kerry
Age: 32
Contact: halfbloodly
Other Characters: None, but I am also apping d'Artagnan this round.
Interests: I really want to delve into Aro's character - he's a new OC for me and I think this is an ideal setting for him, one similar to his own world but with several key differences that will enable me to explore his personality. I'm particularly keen to involve him in the political side of things in Thedas and explore his magic too.

CHARACTER

Name: Arohaerd ('Aro')
Canon/OC: OC (D&D)
Canon Point: While wandering the wilds with Iessa, shortly after her hatching.
Journal: sorcerised
Age: 24

Canon World

Aro is from Faerun, the same world as Adalia who is currently in game. In many ways, Faerun is similar to Thedas. The setting is comparable to western Europe in the late Middle Ages. Smoke powder (their version of gunpowder) exists, but has a basis in magic and is still uncommon; swords, spears, bows and similar weapons still prevail. Faerun is a subcontinent which includes many different cities and towns, and politics is generally feudal.

Magic exists, but is not distrusted as it is in Thedas. It is split into two categories; the Divine, which comes from deities, and the Arcane, which is powered by a mystical field called the Weave. This is broadly similar to the Fade in Thedas. Speaking of deities, Faerun's inhabitants recognise a pantheon of gods similar to that found in the Greek or Roman pantheons, and different groups will focus their worship on different gods.

As on Thedas, Faerun has a wide variety of different races, including humans, elves, half-elves, dwarves, tieflings, dwarves, gomes, halflings, dragons, and many more. Elves as a rule are not discriminated against the way they are in Thedas; they have their own communities and are more similar to the beautiful, powerful Elves of Tolkien's Middle Earth than the elves of Thedas. Half-elves, however, tend to be outsiders as they're too elvish to be considered human, and too human to be considered elves. They tend to resemble humans more than elves, though they do have slightly pointed ears and longer lifespans.

Other than this, Faerun and Thedas are very similar; it would not be difficult for a character familiar with one to assimilate to another.

History

Aro was born to a human mother from an elven father. His parents did not stay together after he was born, and he was raised by his mother alone. His father was never able to be tied down and may not even have known he'd gotten a human girl pregnant - though, neither did he stay to find out. After his mother's family disowned her for getting pregnant out of wedlock, she travelled to another town to try and start again. Her life was hard even there, and they ended up very isolated.

Eventually his mother gave up on the town and they went out into the wild as travellers. She would dance and play music in the towns they visited and they earned what money they needed. When Aro was old enough to learn, she taught him to play a flute like hers, and they would play together. Otherwise, they learned to survive outside. Aro far preferred exploring the wilds, and disliked human towns where he was always stared at and bullied for being half-elven.

His mother didn't do so well with this life, and eventually started to struggle. She became ill, and although Aro was not yet 13, he understood that things needed to change. He brought her to a healing house in the nearest town, giving them what money he had to care for her. He promised to return, but left instead, knowing that his mother needed stability. He went back on the road alone.

A few years later, while travelling, Aro heard the sound of a wounded animal hiding among the rocks at the shore. Wary, but unable to walk away from a creature in pain, he went to investigate. There he discovered a bronze dragon, badly injured, and desperate for help; she had been hurt in battle with a blue dragon, which would take her territory as soon as she died. Aro did what he could, binding and tending to her wounds, but her injuries were too great and it was clear she could not be saved. She led him back to her lair, where he came to understand her determination; there was a solitary egg inside. The dragon gave the egg to Aro, asking him to save it where he couldn't save her. Then with the last of her energy, she blessed him with her power, leaving him with the magic of a sorcerer inside. In place of the dragon, he now held a bronze crystal, which would serve as an Arcane Focus. Aro left that place with the egg in tow, determined to keep it safer than its mother had been.

He carried the egg for a further two years before, finally, a bronze wyrmling hatched from it. Aro called her Iessa, after his own mother. They now travel as companions, learning magic together as they go. Aro hopes to one day bring Iessa back to her mother's lair and help her reclaim it, though that day is far in the future for both of them.

Personality

Aro is not the kind of person who likes to plan out every detail of his life. This is not to say he's aimless. He often has a general goal in mind, such as seeing as many new places as he can, learning more about magic, and helping Iessa to reclaim her home some day. However, he won't plan out every step on his journey towards those goals. Rather, he adapts to situations as they emerge. Change doesn't frighten him; he's not afraid of losing people, and in fact expects them to be transient figures in his life. His attitude towards this is a positive one; he'll enjoy the time he has with them, rather than focusing on what he might lose. His attitude to other changes in his life is similar; change is inevitable, so he will adapt, and focus on finding what happiness he can in any situation.

This attitude comes about in large part because of his upbringing. Used to moving around from a young age, Aro also learned not to hold onto things too closely. Leaving his mother behind was exceptionally difficult for him, but he also recognised that she wasn't well enough to keep travelling with him. Therefore he did what he thought was best for her, even though it meant letting her go.

Because of this, it can be difficult to get close to Aro. His expectation that relationships will not last means he tries to avoid getting attached. He also tends to distrust others - particularly Humans and Elves, among whom he's often felt unwelcome. He doesn't hold grudges, but he remembers ill-treatment and tries to avoid situations where it might happen again. That same instinct also leaves him responsive to kindness, however, and he cares very deeply for people who treat him well. He still expects his time with them to be temporary, but they'll matter to him, and he'll go out of his way to support them.

Another reason why he moves around is a natural wanderlust, common among those with elvish blood in his world. Cities, with their ordered legal systems and large populations, feel stifling to him. He likes to feel wind on his face and to explore new, untamed corners of the world. He feels the same way about music; it's a kind of release for him, and he'll often use songs to remind him of the places he's been and the people he's met, especially the ones who are no longer with him.

This lifestyle means he has to know how to fight, since it's not unusual to come across bandits, monsters, and other dangers in the wilds of Faerun. Aro is an experienced hunter and knows how to defend himself, but he tends not to go looking for trouble. He'll deal with it if it finds him, but he's careful and generally peaceful. Where disputes arise, he'll try to solve them without fighting, while being ready to stand up for himself when he must.

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Fey heritage: As a Half-Elf, Aro is descended from the Fey. As a result, he can see better in the dark than humans (Darkvision: he can see in dim light within 60 feet as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. He cannot see colour in the dark, however). He also has some resistance to magical charm, and cannot be put to sleep by magic.


• Languages: Thanks to both his heritage and background, Aro has a natural proficiency when it comes to languages. He's fluent in five native languages of Faerun; Common, Elvish, Draconic, Infernal and Dwarvish.


• Magic: As a Sorcerer, Aro gained his magic when he was blessed by a Bronze dragon on its deathbed. This created a wellspring of magical energy inside him, changing him permanently. As Bronzes in Faerun are associated with lightning, Aro's magic also tends to skew towards lightning and thunder, though he's capable of casting other spells such as creating lights, putting others to sleep, and casting protective shields. He has had his powers for a number of years and is a Level 4 Sorcerer. This means he is not a beginner, but he is far from being the most powerful of magic users from his world. He learns mainly through experience rather than through academia or formal training, as is typical for Sorcerers in his world.


• Draconic Heritage: Aro's alteration by the bronze dragon did not only give him magic; it also gave him immediate fluency in the Draconic language, and caused some physical alteration as well. At his current level, parts of his skin have a thin covering of dragon-like scales which act like natural armour. Eventually, with practice and experience, he will gain the ability to sprout dragon wings from his back and fly, and to channel the presence of his dragon ancestry to inspire awe in others. He cannot use either of these abilities yet, however.


• Wanderer: Thanks to his experience as a traveller, he has an excellent memory for maps and geography, and can always recall the general layout of terrain, settlements, and other features around you. He's also good at locating food and fresh water and has generally good survival skills. He's better used to travel than to city life and is decently fit and athletic.


• Fighting: Aro generally prefers to fight with magic these days, but he has not always been a Sorcerer, and he still has some skill in general melee/weapons combat. His preferred weapon is a crossbow, but at close range he can also use daggers or darts. He's lightweight and dextrous, tending to rely more on speed and agility in a fight. He's not very physically strong, though he's durable enough to take more damage than might be expected for someone of his build.


• General: He's more durable than he is strong, and more charming than he is intelligent. He's streetwise rather than academic, and he's better at talking to people than he thinks he is. He can also play the flute, though he doesn't have the proficiency of a Bard. He has been playing since childhood, however, and makes most of his money through performance.

Suggested Nerfs

Aro is still a young sorcerer who is learning his craft. In D&D terms, he is a level 4 Sorcerer; it's my intention for him to start out at this level and gain experience in game that will enable him to get better over time. His magic is already regulated in order to prevent characters from being too overpowered. In general terms, the more powerful a spell is, the less often he is able to cast it without resting. As an example, the most powerful spell he currently knows could only be cast twice per day; he would then need to rest before casting it again. At present he only knows one spell at that level, with the others being less powerful. He's also able to cast spells which have certain effects - either 'Careful', which helps to protect allies from getting damaged by his spells, or 'Twinned', which lets him hit two targets instead of one. He can only do this three times per day before needing to rest.

As he grows in experience, he will both be able to learn new spells, and be able to cast a greater number of more powerful spells. I would like him to be able to get better with his powers in game; I will seek mod permission for any increase in level and the power increase that would go with it.

Due to this, I don't think he requires additional nerfing - though if you disagree, I'm happy to make changes!

Arrival Inventory

What will your character have with them in the dream they arrive from? Please go ahead and list weapons, technology, and magical artifacts, though they may disappear in the passage through the Fade. And please note that we do mean what they have with them in their dream; they can arrive in plainclothes with their usual belongings from a dream about buying groceries, or they can arrive in a gorilla suit with a deflated hot air balloon from a dream that was a little less mundane.

• 1 Arcane Focus: a bronze crystal worn around his neck, which serves as a focusing tool for his spells.
  
• 1 crossbow with 20 bolts.
  
• 2 daggers.
  
• Clothes on his back: sturdy boots, leather breeches, a belt, a shirt, a jacket, a long scarf, a pair of gloves, a wide-brimmed hat and a cloak.
  
• Backpack with standard exploring gear: a spare shirt, mess kit, hunting trap, rope, tinderbox, torch, waterskin, bedroll and some rations.
  
• 1 quarterstaff.
  
• 1 bronze dragon hatchling* named Iessa, recently hatched.

* With regards the dragon hatchling! Dragons are sentient creatures in Faerun; however, Iessa is a new hatchling for whom Aro is caring. I would like for her to come with him under the same terms as Adalia's dragon Charis, as discussed here - while in game, Iessa will not be able to learn speech and will not develop more than Mabari-level intelligence throughout her time here. As a dragon, she does have dragon scales which act like natural armour, and she can breathe a cone of electrical / lightning energy. In her own world she would naturally develop other magical abilities over time, but she will be nerfed from that while in game.

'Human'ization

As a Half-Elf, Aro closely resembles an ordinary human. He is slightly taller and more slender than the average human, though less so than he would be if he were a full Elf from Faerun. He also has very slightly pointed ears, though again not so pronounced as they would be if he were a full Elf. Half-Elves are able to grow facial hair, though Aro is cleanshaven at present. Additionally Half-Elves have a lifespan of around 180 years, so they are longer lived than humans, though again, not so long lived as full Elves who can live for thousands of years. Aro can also see in the dark, and has resistance to being charmed or put to sleep by magic, as a result of his Fey ancestry.

In addition, the process of gaining magic from the dragon also changed Aro physically. At present he has a thin layer of dragon scales which covers parts of his skin and behaves like armour. At higher levels, he will also be able to sprout dragon wings and fly. He cannot sprout wings at present, and when he gains that ability, he will be able to summon and conceal them on command.

As humans and Elves both exist in Thedas I would like his form to be unchanged - including retaining his slightly pointed ears and his layer of dragon scales, if possible! The dragon scales could be invisible or only able to be seen when the light catches them, if need be.

Fit

Thedas is very similar to Aro's homeworld from a certain point of view; it has a similar variety of races, including some that are almost the same as the races of his own world. It has magic, and basic similarities in terms of weaponry and theme. However, there are strong differences in attitude here. Elves are not looked down upon where he's from, and people as a rule are not distrustful of magic. Nevertheless, Aro has always been an outsider in his world thanks to his Half-Elf heritage, which has left him a child of two worlds who belongs to neither. He would certainly feel affinity for others who felt excluded and would want to help them where he could. In particular I think he would want to help other magic users and stand up for anyone who was oppressed or held in bondage. Essentially I think he would adapt easily to the setting, and would quickly become invested in helping those in need here. I am also interested in him learning to better hone and develop his magic here. At home he tends to spend most of his time alone. Here he will be around other magic users, and will hopefully be able to learn from them and along with them.

SAMPLES

• Aro on the test drive meme.
  
  
• Network-style meme top level.

Comments

[sorcerised]

CHARACTER

Name: Arohaerd
Original app: Here.

Strengths & Weaknesses

When I originally apped Aro, I said that he was a low-level sorcerer and that it was my intention for him to gain experience in game that will enable him to get better over time. However, I only included in his app the spells he has at his current level. In the post above you say that it is possible for rifters to develop their own type of magic further and that if their abilities have not yet reached their in-game potential, we should explain their full potential and how long it would take them to reach it.

D&D indicates the power needed for each spell through Spell Levels. The lowest is the Cantrip, which requires very little energy to cast. Level 1 is slightly more powerful and requires more energy to cast, Level 2 is more powerful again, and so on. I will separate the spells according to their levels below as an indicator of how powerful/damaging they are. At present, Aro knows the following spells:

Cantrip Spells

• Dancing Lights: He can create up to four torch-sized glowing orbs which shed light in a 10ft radius. They can also be combined into one vaguely humanoid form of medium size.
  
• Spark: Ranged attack: he hurls a spark of lightning at a target causing lightning damage. If it hits something flammable, it will set it on fire too. Its strength would be comparable to a mild electric shock - it would hurt and potentially cause burns, but not kill.
  
• Shocking grasp: Once cast, he delivers a mild electric shock to anything he touches. The shock is slightly less powerful than the one from Spark - it's comparable to the shock from a taser.
  
• Thunderclap: He creates a thunderous sound that can be heard up to 100ft away. Anyone within range will take thunder damage. It is slightly less powerful than Shocking grasp.

Level 1 Spells

• Shield: Causes an invisible barrier of magical force to appear around him. It only covers him.
  
• Sleep: He puts people within a 20ft radius to sleep. They can be woken by physical action (i.e. being shaken, slapped, or injured). Creatures who are either undead or immune to being charmed are unaffected.
  
• Thunderwave: He emits a wave of thunderous force. Creatures within a 15ft cube of him will take thunder damage and will also be pushed 10ft away from him. It also emits a thunderous boom that can be heard 300ft away. It is essentially a more powerful version of Thunderclap.

Level 2 Spells

• Breathing Dragon: He touches a willing creature (it can be himself) and it will spew a 15ft cone of magical energy from its mouth. In his case it is usually lightning energy, though it can also be acid, ice, fire or poison if he desires. This is his most powerful spell and the only one he currently knows at this level.

What I would like is for Aro, over the course of his time in game, to gain experience and become a better sorcerer, effectively raising him to the equivalent of D&D Level 14. He would learn the following additional spells:

Cantrips

• Mending: This spell repairs a single break or tear in an object you touch, such as a broken chain link, two halves of a broken key, a torn cloak, or a leaking wineskin. As long as the break or tear is no larger than 1 foot in any dimension, you mend it, leaving no trace of the former damage. This spell can physically repair a magic item or construct, but the spell can't restore magic to such an object.
  
• Minor Illusion: You create a sound or an image of an object within a 30ft range that lasts for around 1 minute. The illusion also ends if you dismiss it as an action or cast this spell again. If you create a sound, its volume can range from a whisper to a scream. It can be your voice, someone else's voice, a lion's roar, a beating of drums, or any other sound you choose. The sound continues unabated throughout the duration, or you can make discrete sounds at different times before the spell ends. If you create an image of an object--such as a chair, muddy footprints, or a small chest--it must be no larger than a 5-foot cube. The image can't create sound, light, smell, or any other sensory effect. Physical interaction with the image reveals it to be an illusion, because things can pass through it.

Level One Spells

• Absorb Elements: The spell captures some of the incoming energy, lessening its effect on you and storing it for your next melee attack. You gain temporary resistance to energy of that type. The energy you are storing will be released when you next make an attack. Works for Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning and Thunder damage.

Level Two Spells

• Shatter: A sudden loud ringing noise, painfully intense, erupts from a point of your choice within a range 60ft. Organic creatures will feel intense pain from the sound; however creatures made of inorganic material such as stone, crystal or metal will be physically strained, cracked or entirely shattered depending on how strong they are when hit by the attack. A nonmagical object that isn't being worn or carried also takes the damage if it's in the spell's area.

Level Three Spells

• Lightning Bolt: A stroke of lightning forming a line 100ft long and 5ft wide blasts out from you in a direction you choose. The lightning ignites flammable objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried.
  
• Thunder Step: You teleport yourself to an unoccupied space you can see within range. Immediately after you disappear, a thunderous boom sounds, damaging creatures within 10ft of the space you just left. The thunder can be heard from up to 300ft away. You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn’t exceed what you can carry. You can also teleport one passenger and the gear they are carrying along with you, providing they are both willing, and of your size or smaller.

Level Four Spells

• Dimension Door: You teleport yourself from your current location to any other spot within a range of 500ft. You arrive at exactly the spot desired. It can be a place you can see, one you can visualize, or one you can describe by stating distance and direction, such as "200 feet straight downward" or "upward to the northwest at a 45- degree angle, 300 feet." You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn't exceed what you can carry. You can also bring one willing creature of your size or smaller who is carrying gear up to its carrying capacity. The creature must be within 5ft of you when you cast this spell. The spell only works if the place you try to teleport to is empty - if something else is there, you will rebound painfully off it, and arrive back where you started.
  
• Storm Sphere: A 20-foot-radius sphere of whirling air springs into existence centered on a point you choose within a range of 150ft. The sphere remains for the spell’s duration. Creatures inside the sphere will take ongoing damage from the sphere. Every few seconds, a bolt of lightning will leap from the center of the sphere toward a creature you choose (the creature must be within 60ft of the sphere).

Level Five Spells

• Telekinesis: You gain the ability to move or manipulate creatures or objects by thought. The target must be within a 60ft range and there can only be one target at a time. This power may be able to move giants or other huge creatures; however, they may be able to escape if they are very strong. The weight limit for this power is 1,000 lbs. You can exert fine control on objects with your telekinetic grip, such as manipulating a simple tool, opening a door or a container, stowing or retrieving an item from an open container, or pouring the contents from a vial. Additionally, I would seek OOC permission before using telekinesis on any other character.

Level Six Spells

• Chain Lightning: You create a bolt of lightning that arcs toward a target of your choice that you can see within range. Three bolts then leap from that target to as many as three other targets, each of which must be within 30ft of the first target. A target can be a creature or an object and can be targeted by only one of the bolts.

Level Seven Spells

• Whirlwind: A whirlwind howls down to a point that you can see on the ground within a 300ft range. The whirlwind is a 10-foot-radius, 30-foot-high cylinder centred on that point. You can move the whirlwind up to 30 feet in any direction along the ground. The whirlwind sucks up any medium or smaller objects that aren’t secured to anything and that aren’t worn or carried by anyone. Creatures caught by the whirlwind take significant ongoing damage and will also be restrained by the whirlwind. Large creatures may be pulled into the whirlwind, but as with telekinesis, they may be able to break free if they are very strong.

Aro also has something called 'metamagic', which essentially allows him to add a particular effect to any of his spells. He is currently capable of:

Careful Spell: If he is casting a spell where allies would be caught in his range and damaged, this will protect them from it.

Twinned Spell: A spell that ordinarily only targets one creature will be able to target two.

Over time I would also like him to be able to learn how to cast a Subtle Spell, which would allow him to cast it without any words or gestures.

I would eventually like for Aro to be able to learn all of these spells in Fade Rift. I think that in total, it would be reasonable for him to gain this experience over the course of 12 months in game. As he has already been in game for 3 months, I would propose that he be at the point of knowing all of these abilities after another 9 months. I would also propose that he gain these powers in stages, as follows:

Phase One: After one more month, i.e. by the end of July 2018, he would have learned both of his additional Cantrips (Mending and Minor Illusion) and his additional Level One and Two spells (Absorb Elements and Shatter).

Phase Two: After a further 4 months, i.e. by the end of November 2018, he would have learned his Level Three (Lightning Bolt and Thunder Step) and Four (Dimension Door and Storm Sphere) spells, and also learned how to cast a Subtle Spell.

Phase Three: After a final 4 months, i.e. by the end of March 2019, he would have learned his Level Five (Telekinesis), Six (Chain Lightning) and Seven (Whirlwind) Spells. By this stage Aro will have been in game for a full 12 months.

As well as his individual spells, Aro as a sorcerer would eventually gain a general Elemental Affinity, which in his case is Lightning. This is because his magic comes from a Bronze dragon, which is associated with Lightning in his world. This means that spells involving Lightning energy will be slightly more powerful than they would be from other mages, and Aro would also have personal resistance to, and take less damage from, lightning magic cast by others.

He also would gain two 'Feats', which are non-magical skills that he gains with experience. These are:
Elven Accuracy: He has uncanny aim with ranged attacks, both with a ranged weapon and with spells.
Prodigy: He has a knack for learning new things. He gains proficiency in one skill (in his case, his knowledge of the natural world), and gains expertise in one skill in which he was already proficient (in his case, arcane magic). He also gains proficiency with Cartographer's Tools, and becomes fluent in one language. This would usually be a D&D language, but as he will have been in Fade Rift during this time, I would like for him to become fluent in the native Elven tongue, if that's okay!

It would be my intention for Aro to learn Elemental Affinity along with Phase One, by end July 2018, Elven Accuracy along with Phase Two, by end November 2018, and Prodigy along with Phase Three, by end March 2019, if that's okay.

Suggested Nerfs

In my original app I noted that Aro's spells are generally regulated according to power; in D&D, spells at higher levels are more powerful and can be cast less often. This would still be the case; the higher level spells will take more out of him, he will be able to cast them less often and will need to rest after casting them. However, I am not sure if you would want any additional nerfing. Additionally, if you would prefer for some of these abilities to be Specialisations that I would pay for in AC points, I'm happy to work with that. I'm also happy to work with different time increments for improving his powers, if you would prefer!

Arrival Inventory

Original inventory:

1 Arcane Focus: a bronze crystal worn around his neck, which serves as a focusing tool for his spells.

1 crossbow with 20 bolts.

2 daggers.

Clothes on his back: sturdy boots, leather breeches, a belt, a shirt, a jacket, a long scarf, a pair of gloves, a wide-brimmed hat and a cloak.

Backpack with standard exploring gear: a spare shirt, mess kit, hunting trap, rope, tinderbox, torch, waterskin, bedroll and some rations.

1 quarterstaff.

1 bronze dragon hatchling* named Iessa, recently hatched.

To this he would add 1 set of Cartographer's Tools, which he would gain along with the Prodigy feat. This would basically mean a pouch containing calipers, compasses, ink, parchment, a quill, and a ruler. He would use these to make maps. In game, I would say he either purchased these in Kirkwall, or if you prefer, they could be a rift item which he could pay for with activity points.

'Human'ization

In my original app, I mentioned that the process of gaining magic from the dragon also changed Aro physically. He entered the game with a thin layer of dragon scales which covers parts of his skin and behaves like armour. At higher levels, he will also be able to sprout dragon wings and fly. It would be my intention that he gains the ability to sprout his wings along with Phase 3 of his development, so he would be able to do this from March 2019. The wings can appear and disappear at will, and he can fly with them at the same speed as moving on foot.