Eclipse d20 – Village Heroes, Argius and Jamiel

   Here are the first couple of Village Heroes – or at least Adventurous Village Youngsters – for the low-level heroes campaign.

   To fit with the “Untried Youngsters” theme, these sample characters will be starting off at level zero – and, thanks to the Low Level Adventurer Template, they won’t be advancing too rapidly. Fortunately, the template also provides them with enough hit points to survive a few minor adventures and a couple of extra talents.

   Similarly, they’ll be starting off with no more than one disadvantage. If they want more, they can select another one (probably something arising from their adventures) when they hit level one, and a third at level two. Martial Arts skills won’t be available until they find an instructor or ancient scroll or something, but they can start buying them after that.

   That does mean that the Package Deals are going to be important though; twelve character points isn’t much for a mid-level character – but it will mean quite a bit at level zero, where character points are pretty hard to come by. Secondarily, they do offer access to get some of those “by special permission only” abilities, and some of them are pretty useful. Of course, since the game master sets up package deals, such abilities will be restrained to applications which won’t foul up the setting.

• Low-Level Adventurer Template 
• Campaign Design Sheet 
• Village Hero Package Deals I 
• Village Hero Package Deals II

   Argius

   Argius was a studious youngster, and so was apprenticed to his uncle Vaeloth – the village hedge magician. Unlike Vaeloth, however, Argius has proven to have some talent for High Magic as well as Low – and is eager to learn more. Unfortunately, the few scraps of lore to be found in the village among Vaeloth’s few books are hardly enough to when his appetite. Having heard the tales of the riches that await adventurers, he’s looking forward to finding a chance to go out and demonstrate his arcane talents.

• Package Deal:
  • Hedge Mage: May spontaneously cast six levels worth of level zero and level one hedge magic spells per day.
• Low-Level Adventurer Template:
  • +(12 + 2x Con Mod) HP. (This is good, because level zero characters get a base of 3 + Con Mod HP).
  • Talents: +2 Intelligence, +1 Bonus on Saves.
  • Skill Modifiers: -3 on all Unskilled Skill Checks, +3 on Concentration, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Knowledge / Arcana, and Spellcraft.
• Race: Human. 
  • Fast Learner/Specialized in Skills for half cost (3 CP)
  • Bonus Feat (6 CP).
• Total Character Points: 24 Base for L0 + 6 for the human bonus feat +3 for the Recorder Disadvantage = 33.

   Purchased Abilities:

• Proficient with Simple Weapons (3 CP).
• Resist/Reflex +2 (6 CP).
• One level of the Wizard Spellcasting Progression. That’s at a base of only 12 CP since he need only spend one on getting caster level one and Corrupted/at the moment his spells are per week, not per day (8 CP). This also includes a spellbook, containing a selection of cantrips and (3 + Int Mod) first level spells – lets say: Color Spray, Protection from Evil, Mage Armor, True Strike, Hypnotism, and probably a few more.
• Buying the basic human Fast Learner ability up to +2 Skill Points/Level (3 CP).
• +1 BAB with Knives and Staves Only (3 CP).
• +2d4 (5) Generic Spell Levels (Mana), Specialized/must be bound into prepared Wizard Spells and only recovers per week (3 CP). At the moment, being able to have an extra five levels worth of spells prepared is well worthwhile – especially since this character is going to be staying at low levels for quite a while. Being a wizard with only one or two first level spells available at any given time for the next ten sessions would be kind of dull.
• Five Skill Points (5 CP). Combined with his enhanced Fast Learner, and his likely high intelligence, he should have a fair number of skill points to spend.
• Toughness II. This provides +1 HP, and is basically banking a few CP towards a larger hit die at level one. Given that the game master has made that first hit die a special bargain, it would be foolish not to buy something larger than a d4 for it (2 CP).

   Jamiel

   Jamiel learned blacksmithing helping her father; while her brother couldn’t seem to handle an animal for shoeing without being kicked or bitten, she could always gentle them. Her father was a bit reluctant to apprentice his daughter rather than his studious son, but – when Argius kept on dabbling in magic with his brother, rather than working with the forge, he bowed to the inevitable.

   Jamiel is burly, tough, and isn’t about to let her frailer brother wander off on adventures without her – no matter how much confidence his discovery of a talent for high magic seems to have given him. He’s no archmage yet!

• Package Deal:
  • Crafter: Jamiel gets four extra skill points to spend on Mystic Blacksmithing Casting and Mystic Smithcraft Mastery can also use her bonus spell slots from her Constitution to cast those spells (most often enhancing her tools and weapons). She can also use those skills in place of Craft/Blacksmith.
• Low-Level Adventurer Template:
  • +(12 + 2x Con Mod) HP. (This is good, because level zero characters get a base of 3 + Con Mod HP).
  • Talents: Animal Influence, reduces the Armor Check Penalty of any armor she wears by two and increases the maximum dexterity bonus it allows by one.
  • Skill Modifiers: -3 on all Unskilled Skill Checks, +3 on both her Mystic Blacksmithing Skills, Handle Animal, Open Lock, and Spot.
• Race: Human. Provides Fast Learner/Specialized in Skills for half cost (3 CP), and a Bonus Feat.
• Total Character Points: 24 Base for L0 + 6 for the human bonus feat +3 for the Obligations (look after her impractical brother) Disadvantage = 33.

   Purchased Abilities:

• Proficient with Simple and Metallic Martial Weapons (6 CP) and Light and Medium Armor (9 CP).
• Resist/Fortitude +2 (6 CP).
• Universal Damage Reduction 3/-, Specialized/only reduces the first three points of damage from any source to stun damage (3 CP).
• +1 BAB with Melee Weapons Only (3 CP).
• Companion (at least initially, one large dog . She may opt to retire the dog in favor of a leopard or some such if she manages to acquire one, 6 CP).
  • Jamiel will definitely be saving points for a large first level hit die, but – given that she wanted to start out proficient with weapons and armor – can’t afford that kind of thing yet.