Character Creation

Character Creation Guidelines and Resources

When building a character for play within the Tense River Basin you have access to some additional options for backgrounds, heritages, and certain kinds of equipment. This step by step guide will walk you through the character creation process including specific house rules and options.

Roll for Stats

You may use the 4d6 drop lowest method for rolling. Only roll once in the presence of the DM. If you are not satisfied with the stats you roll, you can opt to use a 27 point buy instead.

Discover a Heritage

Within the Tense River Basin there are many kinds of people, but most are Human, followed by Elves, Dwarves, and Halflings and Gnomes. In addition to the standard players handbook fare these are new heritages which are setting specific.

Heritage Breakdown of the Tense River Basin

Roll the Dice

1d100	Represented Heritage
1-40	Pinion, human (40% of population)
41-50	Pinion, halfling (10% of population)
51-65	Featherbeard Dwarf (15% of population)
66-80	Meudonian Elf (15% of population)
81-90	Gnome (10% of population)
91-95	Grung (5% of population)
96-97	Dragonborn (2% of population)
98-99	Aarakocra (2% of population)
100	Generosa (Less than 1% of population)

Featherbeard Dwarf Pinion (human) Meudonian Elf Generosa

Learn from your Experience

In addition to the background options provided in the players handbook, these setting specific backgrounds are available. Note that they are balanced against one another for this setting, and the features they provide may not be suitable for balanced play in other campaigns. Make sure to either roll for or select personality traits, bonds, ideals, and flaws. Purified by the Church of Feathered Hope Wayward Tutoring Fortch-unate Survivor Follower of the Golden Antler Nightbridge Guide

Know a Familiar Place

Although the Basin is littered with small settlements most people consider one of three cities to be home. Provenance, Carcassonne, and Thisplacia. Each has their own character, holidays, and little nuances of weirdness that make them home.

Thisplacia lies to the south, it is the oldest standing city in the river basin, more than 1500 years at least, but no one really knows for sure. The city is known for its large marble structures including the coliseum. If you hail from Thisplacia you can begin play with a Thisplacian Marble Gladiator.

Thisplacia Coliseum

Thisplacian Marble Gladiator

Wondrous Item

Common Divination Requires Attunement

Thisplacia is known for its marble quarry, it has the finest marble with small rivulets of an unusual prismatic mineral crossing through the otherwise pure white stone. They are carved by Angelo, charged with casting the gladiators who battle into stone. These small figurines are like personal totems for favorite competitors.

During a short rest the figurine can be set down and it will animate to say the gladiator’s chosen catch phrase, and then hype you up. While being hyped you regain an additional 1d6 hit points from this short rest. Additionally your next Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution save gains a bonus 1d4 as though you were Blessed.

Cost: 250 gp
Weight: 1 pound

Provenance lies further downriver. It is the once and future home of the Purifier, the Phoenix deity of the Pinions. A towering tree stands to the north side of town with a gargantuan nest, but the ash laden egg of the phoenix has laid there dormant for a thousand years. Perhaps its just waiting for the right time to come back? The city is also where the Council of Seven Seats meets to make decisions for the Dominion, making it the political capital of the Basin. If you spend a great deal of time in Provenance you begin play with a Provenancian Go Bag.

Provenance Leatherworkers Association

Feathered Leather Backpack

Wondrous Item

Common Transmutation Requires Attunement

In Provenance they are always ready to evacuate, it is one of the ways they stay safe from the undead. The shambling decomposed and horrible screamers don’t really do much property damage. So, if you can flee with what is important to you and last til morning you can go back home by lunch.

They also have access to Screechbear leather and the city is host to the most skilled leather worker in the basin. None other than Guy Peirceman. As rushing off with a well packed pack is a common need he crafts the finest feathered leather backpack.

While wearing this backpack you can carry an additional 10 pounds on your usual carrying capacity. When you fall, you may pull a leather cord to extend the feathers as a Reaction and negate the first ten feet of falling damage, while gliding forward up to 15 feet in a straight line. The cord can be reset with an action.

Cost: 250 gp
Weight: 3 lbs

Carcassonne lies furthest north, cradled and protected by steep and jagged mountains, it lies the deepest into Decrept territory but boasts itself as one of the safest bastions against the undead. The mountains keep it safe and the people there have considerable wealth due to the gemborne salmon that swim in the lake. In the event that you know the blue trees of the lake, you begin play with an item of Carcassonian Lapis Jewelry.

Carcassonne

Carcassonne Lapis Jewelry

Wondrous Item

Common Enchantment Requires Attunement

In Carcassonne they are blessed with a bounty of gem laden fish. The gemborne salmon that migrate through their central lake have lapis lazuli growing in their bones, some only lightly, others with skull near entirely made of the precious stone. This jewelry has been carved from that bone and polished to a bright finish.

Wearing this jewelry indicates a level of comfort and proximity to wealth. But even a lucky fisherman can come across a gemborne trout. Either case, it requires calm and focus. Once per week you can brandish your jewelry to create the effect of Calm Emotions. It is an offer of diplomacy accepted by many, particularly if you have become someone worth recognizing.

Cost: 250 gp
Weight: Depends how fancy you are, could be a ring or serious bling

Select Your Class

I know that it is somewhat counter to how you may often design a character. Many times one builds a character class first, then picks out what fits and suits you towards that. But I like to do the reverse, get to know where the character came from, who they were, and then decide where they are going. Now that you are armed with a little history pick a class that suits the goals your character will want to pursue. When I’m personally running the game, I allow classes from any published source. But I strongly encourage thinking of ways you can reflavor them to fit the person you’ve created by going background first. Note for Warlocks Setebos and Buzzpurrs are available as a warlock patrons.

Everyone has something a little Weird

You did it! You’ve made a complete character, well nearly. To really be complete every character needs some thing somewhat unique and odd that they’ve come across in their life to this point. Roll on the Trinket table to see what Tense River object you start with. Tense River Trinkets Now, in most campaigns you make your character, then sit there and twiddle your thumbs. But to take your character out for a test drive and to explore the setting a bit, I suggest jumping into the branching choice adventure One Night in Provenance Keep your character sheet handy, there are combats and skill challenges and some options will be made available in the story because of your heritage, background, and familiar place.

Character Creation