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I wanted to play a Tabaxi from Volo's Guide to Monsters, because everybody wants to be a cat. My idea is to build it as a warlock, gaining magical powers through a pact with an otherworldly entity. This could be an angelic, demonic, inscrutable Lovecraftian primordial, archfey, or otherwise impossibly powerful benefactor. My plan is to follow the Pact of the Blade (Player's Handbook) and re-flavor the Hexblade patron (Xanathar's Guide to Everything) based on the new Spelljammer character backgrounds.
We'll be chaotic neutral. Oh, and his name is not not Lynx Skywalker because puns and space wizards.
Time for stats! There are three common ways to generate ability scores for a character. Using a standard array of numbers makes a balanced character. Buying from a pool of points allows a bit more specialization. Rolling dice for random results is dangerous, but potentially more rewarding. The official way is to roll 4d6 (four standard 6-sided cubic dice) and drop the lowest result, adding the remaining three dice for a final number, repeating until you generate six different ability scores. Regardless of how they are generated, the ability scores represented by these numbers produce a modifier for all related skill checks and saving throws. This is based on how far above or below a 10 they fall, with the modifier increasing or decreasing by the difference divided by two and rounded down.
I rolled for my statistics, because why not live recklessly? Here's why not: The first array I rolled was awful. I got a 6 (-2), 10 (0), 14 (+2), 11 (0), 8 (-1), and 12 (+1). The GM said this was not a viable set of numbers, since the modifiers didn't average out to a positive result at all, so I rolled again. The new results were still messy, but playable: 7 (-2), 14 (+2), 17 (+3), 15 (+2,) 12 (+1), and another 7 (-2). Using the playtest rules, I elected to add a +1 bonus to three different stats of my choice instead of accepting the standard Tabaxi racial bonuses. Here's how it stacks up.
| Ability | Score | Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 8 | -1 |
| Dexterity | 16 | +3 |
| Constitution | 14 | +2 |
| Intelligence | 12 | +1 |
| Wisdom | 7 | -2 |
| Charisma | 18 | +4 |
The Charisma score is above where I could normally start, and the Dexterity score is high, but these are offset by two negative modifiers, while Constitution and Intelligence are quite average for a new level 1 character. Also, my Tabaxi quirk is "You are always in debt, since you spend your gold on lavish parties and gifts for friends." Low wisdom ties in with bad financial planning, perhaps? Where's my bailout money, Joe Biden!
I chose the new Astral Drifter background, and according to the dice, my character with pitifully low wisdom encountered Zivilyn, god of wisdom. I assume I was quite lost, and earned pity. I also happen to be 83 (20d6) years older than I look due to this strange history in far planes of existence. And I speak Celestial. This all leads me to conclude my Warlock benefactor is someone tied to the Astral Plane, but details remain to be determined. Oh, and I also get two bonus cantrips from the divine magic list and one 1st-level spell.
So, we have a spendthrift goofball who has literally had a chat with a god, will definitely be calling the void ship a "party barge," and.... Oh, right Tabaxi obsessions! Tabaxi are supposed to be a bit ADHD about their obsessions. New dice roll... a mundane object. OK. Time to roll on the trinkets table to see where it begins! I have a needle that never bends. Neat! But what will replace it next? I made a table for that, too. A d66 table means rolling 2d6 in sequence, so one is the first digit and the other the second.
| d66 | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | yarn | LOL, cats! |
| 12 | mousetraps | Think smarter, not harder! |
| 13 | fishhooks | Meow we wish to catch a fish, so juicy sweet! |
| 14 | a sock | Don't judge me! |
| 15 | corks | bat... bat... bat...chase! YOU SAW NOTHING! |
| 16 | glass eyes | Stop eyeing my collection. |
| 21 | scraps of bright fabric | I really should take up sewing |
| 22 | empty thread spools | Noisier than corks! |
| 23 | thimbles | Needles hurt! |
| 24 | beads | I will make necklaces and bracelets and earrings and everything! |
| 25 | string | Where did I put those beads? |
| 26 | bells | How can I attach these to a toy? |
| 31 | gears | Maybe I'll be an artificer this week! |
| 32 | springs | Boi-oi-oi-oi-oi-oi-oing..... |
| 33 | keys | Old keys. Orphan keys. Keys are just neat, OK! |
| 34 | tiny bottles | I don't know what I will put in them, so stop asking. |
| 35 | magnifying glasses | I'm a master detective now! |
| 36 | wire | d4:gold, silver, copper, steel |
| 41 | rodent bones | I will make a necklace of tiny rat skulls! |
| 42 | seashells | Not a huge fan of water, but I like beachcombing today. |
| 43 | leaves | Press them in the wizard's spellbook when s/he isn't looking! |
| 44 | flowers | see above |
| 45 | feathers | Step 1: acquire cap. Step 2: put feather in cap. Step 3: find better feathers! |
| 46 | books of quotations and proverbs | No, I didn't use my book for pressing leaves or flowers. It might stain! |
| 51 | arrowheads | If you have to ask, you won't understand. |
| 52 | daggers | Exotic patterns from sleazy market stalls! |
| 53 | spoons | I was born for stealing silver spoons out of the mouths of rich kids, y'know. |
| 54 | scrimshaw | Roll another d6. Odds: carved bones/ivory. Evens: bones/ivory for new hobby. |
| 55 | harmonicas | I'm a musician now! |
| 56 | Gemstones | Roll on the 10 GP gemstone chart from DMG p.134 |
| 61 | dice | Shiny math rocks go clicky-clack! Need more! |
| 62 | coins | Coppers from distant lands, or showing long-dead kings. |
| 63 | Paints/paintbrushes | I will be a great artist like Leonardo the Tortle! |
| 64 | shiny rocks | Not gemstones, just pretty pebbles. |
| 65 | pens | Accidentally pocketed, I assure you. |
| 66 | miniatures | Roll another d6. Odds: carved from wood. Evens: cast in lead. |
Of course, once a new obsession captures this cat's attention, the old obsession is likely to be discarded and forgotten, so nothing is likely to come of any of it. Now it's time to define some personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws. None are suggested, and apparently One D&D isn't even including these features anymore, even as a table of suggestions. Boo! I'm doing it anyway. Sorta.
Lynx will be irreverent and impulsive. He looks 12 even if he is actually 95, and he's glad to be a kid again. He's also argumentative, and prone to "forgetting" plans he doesn't like. But he is loyal to his friends no matter what. We'll see what else happens next when the rest of the party assembles for Session 0.
If you're not on Hive yet, I invite you to join through PeakD. If you use my referral link, I'll even delegate some Hive Power to help you get started.
