While they primarily used them for research as other folk did, their study experience was quite different. They took no notes. They found misinformation and embellishments where others saw fact, having learnt ancient truths since birth. No Noctem ever picked up a book and read it from cover to cover, either; such would have been an awful waste of time - and if there was something a singular Noctem did not have in abundance, it was time. No, books - or rather, individual chapters or passages - were used to give context to facts that existed without from, to tie together the beginning and the end, to reveal questions the Noctem only knew the answers to.
So as I'Rajith threw another book into a mounting pile of tomes, it wasn't because he'd finished reading it. He'd simply finished needing it. The book had concerned gardening, of all things. Of late, the Conference had talked about the topic often, if always disjointedly. It wasn't a field I'Rajith had much personal interest in, but if there was something more painful than ignorance, it was knowing only half the story. Now he knew all about the ideal environment for growing tomatoes, and could close that chapter in his brain.
He'd managed to close quite a few of them of late, in fact - all thanks to the Princess who, in her plight, had accepted the Noctem's offer of help in exchange for access to this very place.
Now, the next topic... hm?
I'Rajith wasn't the most perceptive of all Noctem, but the library was quiet, and someone's steps were not. He slid off the table he'd been sitting on and peeked past the mountain of books he'd piled on the floor. There, he spotted a Wooden One wandering amidst the shelves.
"Is it a book you seek?" came the calm, almost ethereal voice of the Noctem, accompanied by an awful crack as he tilted his head abnormally far to the side. "Ask. I know the books here. The good, the bad, the blatant lies."
Phew, reading through everything took longer than expected, ha, but just wanted to give an update that I've started on my post and hope to finish tomorrow!
Hey! I already let Fading Memory know, but also saying it here: will have to step back from the rp for a little while due to work and travel. I'll be back in July though, looking forward to writing with you all then!
Awesome! And gotcha, I'll turn him 9 then to be closer to that intended 19; someone who's still coming to terms with the sudden responsibilites and capabilities that come with being an adult. And especially in the case of the Noctem, the rapid growth spurt as well.
Posted my sheet! It should have everything in place. I hope I understood the aging correctly - if not, let me know and I'll age him up chronologically as well.
Ended up swapping out the gaming set proficiency with a disguise kit proficiency, since he'd probably learnt how to use stage makeup from the theater, and still has to hide from the people after him. Just made more sense to me!
The Ever Waking「noctem」Noctem do not sleep. Instead, they enter a trance nand require only 4 hours to complete a Long Rest. While in this trance they are incapacitated, blind, and deaf, but can be roused by touch. Noctem cannot be put to sleep by magical means. While in this trance they commune with others of their kind in a unique demiplane shared by all Noctem called 'The Conference of Minds'. This allows all Noctem to share in information, though the communal dialogue is ever shifting and no one topic is discussed or weighed for long.
The Conference of Minds「noctem」During a Long Rest and while visiting the Conference of Minds, a Noctem may draw upon the life experiences and insights of their kin. Until the end of their next Long Rest, a Noctem may choose a Class Feature (But may not designate a Subclass) of another class that they meet the multiclass and Level requirements for and gain its benefits. Spellcasting cannot be gained in this way, and if an ability requires a resource or scales with class level, use your proficiency bonus in place of the class level. Ex; For Unarmored Movement, a level 17 Noctem would be considered a level 6 monk because of their proficiency bonus of 6. Similarly if they gained Rage instead, they would be considered a level 6 barbarian for the rage table.
Rogue (lv 2): Cunning Action「conference of minds」Starting at 2nd level, your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Superior Darkvision「noctem」120 feet; Greyscale
Abandoned by the Light「noctem」Due to a curse from a deity slighted by the (in)famous Noctem Scholar O'Sovoka, Noctem are vulnerable to Radiant Damage and may only be resurrected by a spell of 5th level or higher.
Feat: Shadow Touched「level 1」Your exposure to the Shadowfell's magic has changed you, granting you the following benefits:
- Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You learn the invisibility spell and one 1st-level spell of your choice. The 1st-level spell must be from the illusion or necromancy school of magic. You can cast each of these spells without expending a spell slot. Once you cast either of these spells in this way, you can't cast that spell in this way again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using spell slots you have of the appropriate level. The spells' spellcasting ability is the ability increased by this feat.
Spellcasting「wizard 1」
As a student of arcane magic, you have a spellbook containing spells that show the first glimmerings of your true power.
Cantrips At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn additional wizard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Wizard table.
Spellbook At 1st level, you have a spellbook containing six 1st-level wizard spells of your choice. Your spellbook is the repository of the wizard spells you know, except your cantrips, which are fixed in your mind.
The spells that you add to your spellbook as you gain levels reflect the arcane research you conduct on your own, as well as intellectual breakthroughs you have had about the nature of the multiverse. You might find other spells during your adventures. You could discover a spell recorded on a scroll in an evil wizard's chest, for example, or in a dusty tome in an ancient library.
Copying a Spell into the Book. When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a spell level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.
Copying a spell into your spellbook involves reproducing the basic form of the spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the wizard who wrote it. You must practice the spell until you understand the sounds or gestures required, then transcribe it into your spellbook using your own notation.
For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.
Replacing the Book. You can copy a spell from your own spellbook into another book-for example, if you want to make a backup copy of your spellbook. This is just like copying a new spell into your spellbook, but faster and easier, since you understand your own notation and already know how to cast the spell. You need spend only 1 hour and 10 gp for each level of the copied spell.
If you lose your spellbook, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the spells that you have prepared into a new spellbook. Filling out the remainder of your spellbook requires you to find new spells to do so, as normal. For this reason, many wizards keep backup spellbooks in a safe place.
The Book's Appearance. Your spellbook is a unique compilation of spells, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous spellbook in a mishap.
Preparing and Casting Spells The Wizard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your wizard spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of wizard spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of wizard spells from your spellbook equal to your Intelligence modifier + your wizard level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
For example, if you're a 3rd-level wizard, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination, chosen from your spellbook. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Magic Missile, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of wizard spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Spellcasting Ability Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Ritual Casting You can cast a wizard spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your spellbook. You don't need to have the spell prepared.
Spellcasting Focus You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your wizard spells.
Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher Each time you gain a wizard level, you can add two wizard spells of your choice to your spellbook. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Wizard table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spellbook.
Arcane Recovery「wizard 1」You have learned to regain some of your magical energy by studying your spellbook. Once per day when you finish a short rest, you can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your wizard level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher. For example, if you're a 4th-level wizard, you can recover up to two levels worth of spell slots. You can recover either a 2nd-level spell slot or two 1st-level spell slots.
Training in War and Song「wizard 2: bladesinger」When you adopt this tradition at 2nd level, you gain proficiency with light armor, and you gain proficiency with one type of one-handed melee weapon of your choice. You also gain proficiency in the Performance skill if you don’t already have it.
Bladesong「wizard 2: bladesinger」Starting at 2nd level, you can invoke an elven magic called the Bladesong, provided that you aren’t wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield. It graces you with supernatural speed, agility, and focus. You can use a bonus action to start the Bladesong, which lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are incapacitated, if you don medium or heavy armor or a shield, or if you use two hands to make an attack with a weapon. You can also dismiss the Bladesong at any time (no action required).
While your Bladesong is active, you gain the following benefits:
- You gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1)
- Your walking speed increases by 10 feet.
- You have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks.
- You gain a bonus to any Constitution saving throw you make to maintain your concentration on a spell. The bonus equals your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1).
- You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.
Cantrip Formulas (Optional)「wizard 3」At 3rd level, you have scribed a set of arcane formulas in your spellbook that you can use to formulate a cantrip in your mind. Whenever you finish a long rest and consult those formulas in your spellbook, you can replace one wizard cantrip you know with another cantrip from the wizard spell list.
Background
Background: Criminal
I'Rajith did not grow up among his kin.
For all the knowledge the young man has gathered thus far, the fate of his biological family still eludes him. Those he came to call his parents said they found him wandering the wilds alone, but he's never been one to trust information from an unreliable source. If the Conference knows - and surely, they must - they don't consider the matter important enough to discuss.
From an early age, I'Rajith was an asset to his adoptive human parents, perhaps more so than they were to him. He spoke before he could walk, and by age two he knew magical theory. At three, he taught his parents mathematics. At four, he'd begun casting spells. His childhood, quick as it was to pass, was spent supplying his parents and their small band of criminals knowledge on all manner of topics. Tidbits from the past, present and future, strategies, tactics, the ability to decode messages not meant for prying eyes.
But though his adoptive parents sought to benefit from him, they did not treat the noctem boy poorly by any means. Quite the contrary; they provided for I'Rajith the best they could. He was their prodigy of a son, after all. The only thing they refused to grant him was freedom. I'Rajith was not satisfied with knowledge borrowed; he wanted to set out and see the world he'd only heard of in his dreamless dreams. His head was full with whispered warnings, with prophecies left unfinished, storied that lacked a beginning and an end. He wanted to craft his own tale - one only he knew before he'd choose to divulge it.
More and more, I'Rajith started to understand that knowledge was a double-edged sword. The tidbits bestowed upon him by the Conference were often incomplete, sometimes frustratingly so. Many a night he writhed in his bed, trying to solve puzzles with incorrect pieces, to connect dots that weren't there. Sometimes words eluded him; other times, there were so many he choked on them. And when his mind gave him respite, the outside world refused to; eventually other bandits caught wind of his existence, and wanted to seize his knowledge for themselves.
In response, his adoptive parents opted to hide the boy and offer him a distraction from his own mind. Their place of choice was a small, shady theater they had familiar ties to. They hid him in plain sight, covered by masks and costumes, and prayed it was enough. For a few years, it was.
It was in the theater the noctem - a young man by all accounts now - learnt to dance. Many of his kind chose to weave their knowledge into stories or songs - I'Rajith, during all his studies, had grown sick of words. He chose to express himself with movement; to marry sword, magic and body. And so dance he did, until his little side show became a main act - and plain sight was no longer a safe place to hide.
The summons came at an opportune time indeed.
Equipment
PP 0 | GP 15 | EP 0 | SP 0 | CP 0 |
⇴ Rapier ⇴ Dagger ⇴ Scholar's Pack
⇴ Backpack ⇴ Book of Lore ⇴ Ink ⇴ Ink Pen ⇴ Parchment x10 ⇴ Little Bag of Sand ⇴ Small Knife
⇴ Arcane Focus ⇴ Spellbook ⇴ Set of dark common clothes including a hood ⇴ Crowbar ⇴ Belt Pouch
1) Just let me know what you're switching and what your justification for the character is; it's usually going to be okay, I'm not such a stickler, I just didn't want the stat shuffling since I made the races 'fantastic'.
2) Yep! I intentionally kept the Noctem to +4 net instead of +5 net because I baked in what I felt was a powerful racial ability to pick-and-choose mini-multiclass. The +4 vs +5 was part of that mental-gymnastic-routine that I called 'balance' in my own head; the physical folks get caps bumped to 24, mental folks to 22, and Noctem get slightly less raw stats to compensate for their greater versatility. That was the design intention at least, and 1 stat point often isn't a huge difference in the grand scheme.
Additionally the caps were placed where they were, and the stat bonuses assigned how they were, to compensate for a common perception of 'magic wins D&D'; I made the physically inclined races truly exceptional, while still making the magically inclined ones fantastic compared to the human- all while trying to keep the human relevant in its versatility and rolling in what I thought was a very fitting ability for Humans in Fantasy.
1) I was thinking of swapping Deception with Sleight of Hand and a gaming set with another language, but otherwise using the Criminal background. Will let you know what I settle on, but nothing more drastic than that!
2) Gotcha! I assumed as much, but just wanted to make sure. No complaints from me as far as balance goes either - especially since it turns out this particular Noctem has some rogue-ish inclinations, the versatility works well! He starts with a feature from Rogue since that's what he's used to so far, but as things develop he'll adapt and consult the Conference for knowledge on other fields.
Almost done with the sheet, just trying to decide which direction to take the background. Also, two quick questions!
1) Are we allowed to use the customizing your background rule from the PHB? Specifically, the part about switching background proficiencies.
2) Were the Noctem supposed to have a +4 stat total from their race, as opposed to other races' +5 total? Totally cool if so! Just double checking that I'm not missing anything.
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