Building Bhakashal - Character Creation - PCs
Art by Yuankai Li (https://www.artstation.com/yuankai)
For today’s example I wanted to do another picture to PC entry. I found this one on Artstation a few years ago, the artist, Yuankai Li hits my sweet spot, nice textures, non-standard (and not too dark) palette, and clothing and weapon representation that I liked. Clothing and weapons and unique visual features in terms of appearance go a long way to making characters impactful.
I originally designed a NPC druid around this image, but today I will use it for a 1st level Jinx. Jinxes in Bhakashal are a hybrid of thief and druid with only the plant spells from druids. Also, they access their spells through tattoos on their body. This image is terrific as it has tattoos and the armor/clothing works for a thief.
So today I will be creating a 1st level Jinx.
Jinxes roam the thousands of rivers and lakes that dot the marshes, living on longboats of their own creation. They are often musicians. They trade goods and services: a Jinx might join a village’s harvest or hunt, play music in exchange for food or money, transport passengers, aid locals against aggressors or explore the marshes for lost magic items.
Jinx’s are agents of the Bhakshal Brass Blade Spider’s Guild, however, they are not thieves for the most part, instead, they work out of the Raosk and criss cross the marshes in their longboats gathering information and forming alliances and bonds of trust amongst the various inhabitants of the marshes so that the guild can collect information and leverage those connections to get lines on both items of power in the marshes and monsters/animals of note so the guild may get access to their parts. Essentially the Jinxes job is to connect with and form bonds of trust with different communities in the marshes so the guild can gather information and trade/bargain/purchase items of note.
Jinx’s are master horticulturalists and herbalists, they get the Druid’s ability to identify plant type, and pass without a trace. They have also used plants to gain the ability to use magic. Jinx’s use herbs gathered and prepared from sentient plants in the marshes to enter a transcendental state and ask extra dimensional beings for spells, these beings are referred to as “demons”, but are really just otherplanar life forms of power. When a jinx asks for a spell they roll a “to know” roll based on their wisdom to determine success. Failure means they may never ask for that spell again.
Note that every Jinx from 1st level on has a riverboat, they spend much of their time on the water, and the boat is of the highest possible craftsmanship, completing it is the completion of their apprenticeship, and a Jinx will live out of their boat unless otherwise required to do so, and will keep it nearby if they are staying elsewhere.
Process
A. Choose a character class
B. Choose a Playable Group and Faction
C. Generate Stats
D. Calculate Saving Throw Bonuses and HP
E. Add Skills and Playable Group Abilities
F. Choose Deity and Languages
G. Choose Equipment and Clothing
H. Pick Armor and Weapons and Assign Attack Bonuses
I. Calculate Wealth
J. Calculate Encumbrance
K. Assign Spells/Class Abilities
M. Assign Personality Traits (optional)
N. Customize Playable Group Lore (optional)
O. Name Character
P. Assign magic items (for creating NPCs and PCs above level 1)
A. Choose Class and Faction (d100)
Jinx - Title: Jinx Boatman
Faction - Brass Blade Guild [LE]
B. Choose Playable Group (3d12)
Emberi (human)
C. Generate Stats
For each stat roll 3d6
4 4 3 /1 6 3/ 4 1 2/ 3 2 5/ 1 3 6/ 3 6 5
S 11 / I 10 / W 7 / D 10 / C 10 / C 14
Apply stat minimums
WIS 14 DEX 13
S 11 / I 10 / W 14 / D 13 / C 10 / C 14
Switch any two stats (you cannot produce a result less than a minimum)
No switch
Apply playable group bonuses
+1 CON +1 WIS
S 11 / I 10 / W 15 / D 13 / C 11 / C 14
Apply Ability Modifiers
S - 11 [+1]
I - 10 [+1]
W - 15 [+2]
D - 13 [+2]
C - 11 [+1]
C - C 14 [+2]/+10%
D. Calculate Saving Throw Bonuses and HP
All classes get a +1 bonus per level of experience
Paralyzation STR and CON [+3]
Poison CON and DEX [+4]
Death Magic WIS and CON [+4]
Petrification CON and CHR [+4]
Polymorph WIS and CHR [+5]
Breath Weapon DEX and INT [+4]
Spell WIS and INT [+4]
Hit Points
Class based, roll or take the average (1/2 HD) - Rolled: 6
Bhakashal - Hit Points
Table 1 - Hit Point Progression by Class
E. Add Skills and Playable Group Abilities
PCs get a skill(s) related to their playable group
Fishing
Some classes (e.g. myrmidon) also get skills
Boating, shipwright, musician
All PCs then get a roll on the Bhakashal Skill table once for every point of INT bonus
Rolled: 97 - skill of your choice, I took Musician
Duplicate rolls get a +1 bonus with the existing skill, so he is now Musician [1]
Instruments: proficient in the caysak, a steel “bowl” held in one hand and a steel ball for the other, the ball is striated with holes, striking the ball to the bowl makes high pitched notes that cascade through heavier notes, and kraik a guitar with a segmented interior that lowers the tone of the strumming and gives it a fuller, deeper sound.
Playable groups also have abilities
- move at 12” on land and 9” through trees.
- selective vision control:
infravision 120’
+4 on saving throws against brightness related blindness.
- selective hearing control
Stop take an action and concentrate: enhance hearing, reducing surprise to 1 in 6 as longa as maintained
+4 on saves against sonic damage
Bhakashal Skills
F. Choose Deity and Languages
Gods of Bhakashal (4d12)
4. Kurlog – Luck, Overcoming Challenges - dog head
5. Teernak – Creation, Preservation, Destruction - 3-headed, staff, flowers (lilly), dragonfly
6. Murla – Creation, Life, Water (Rivers) - fish head, mace
7. Shayamal – Justice, Community, Charity – Ruby red body, head of bull, rod
8. Evok – Death, destruction, Transformation, Regeneration, Magic - snake head (cobra), hammer
9. Bemmarg – Family, Food, Marriage - four arms, goat
10. Torphal – Death, Animals, Storms, Disease – antelope head, spear
11. Aeskaros – Anger, Vengeance, Fear – 4 arms, head of lion, sword
12. Rakken – Dance, Creation, Destruction – 4 arms, grey body, red feathers on back, staff, red hawk
13. Golan – Knowledge, Magic, Technology – two faces (front/back), wings of bat, twin scimitars, tree
14. Rjam – Courage, Skill in Combat - tiger head, bow and arrows, vines
15. Xoam – Wealth, Happiness, Luck, Healing – gold body, floating lotus flower throne, boar
16. Maegela – Beauty, Loyalty – green skin, wings of black feathers, two-handed sword, raven
17. Poniar – Plants, Earth, Spring, Growth - skin of bark, club, tree
18. Jannak – Time – skull for head, crown of blood, 4 arms, 4 falchions, rides giant lizard
19. Sithasial – Ocean, Water – head of squid with tentacles, daggers, barracuda
20. Dynas – Strength, Fortitude - head of turtle, club
21. Olapp – Fertility, Growth, Healing - giant, spear, boar
22. Nesig – Revenge, Loyalty, Duty - six arms, head of dragon, swords
23. Usam – Cunning, Deceit, Thieves – silver body, holds lotus and knife, fox
24. Palashurem – Loyalty, Duty, Honor – half red, half black, battle axe, tiger
25. Tobomar – Bravery, Fighters – green body, holding bow, crow on shoulder, crows
26. Bhamal – Beauty, Music – orange body, black armor, battle axe, rides giant peacock
27. Haeka – Peace, Contemplation – body of smoke, one eye sun, one moon, snakes
28. Yaal – Death, Cleansing, Rebirth, Righteousness – body of water, trident, rides blue horse
29. Iospha – Fire – black with red striations, 4 armed, on boar with four flaming axes
30. Cekala - Storms, Lightning, Battle – rides on elephant with lightning bolt in hand
31. Uvir – Air, Wind - head of deer, legs of deer, spear, falcon
32. Mubere – Thieves, Wealth, Excess - head of cat, sword, cats
33. Vekka – Water (Lake ) – four arms and four legs, two heads, spear, water snake
34. Eddea – Love, Desire – standing on turtle, javelin
35. Jekrat – War, Soldiers – 2 faces, back blindfolded, front wears lion mask, sword and axe, lions
36. Worlu – Purification, winter – green skin, holding bowl and flame, rides elephant
37. Omagh– Death – dark blue skin, black armor, sword and shield, rides golden tiger, mace
38. Qonru – Sun , life, birth, creation – red skin, four arms, sword of fire, rides flaming eagle
39. Iallus – Moon, Light, Creativity - silver body, head of stag, spear
40. Keskittall – Mars, Violence, War - black skin, head of boar, mace and axe
41. Gallas – Jupiter, Wisdom – head of ram, sceptre, owl
42. Mirres – Mercury, Science, Math – head of wolf, rope, staff
43. Bormal – Venus, Knowledge - elephant head, bat wings, dark blue body, hammer
44. Laras – Saturn , Travel, Hardship, Suffering - crows head, two crows circle head, scythe
45. Nareen – Darkness, Rebirth – two heads, one snake, one frog, axe
46. Tarasural – Peace, Rest, Contemplation – blank face, golden body, holds lotus blossoms, butterfly
47. Mohlk – Birds, communication – green body with hawk’s head and feathered wings, mace
48. Yult –Strength, Loyalty – ape in golden armor, hammer, rides giant lion
Rolled: Usam – Cunning, Deceit, Thieves – silver body, holds lotus and knife, fox
Characters get the language of their playable group and one other language of their choice, and then one roll on the table for every point of their INT bonus. If a duplicate is rolled, roll on Special Table 1 instead
Emberi, Saan, Garudin
Bhakashal Languages - (3d12)* Special Table 1 - (d12)
G. Choose Equipment and Clothing
A - Backpack, 50’ rope, (3) iron spikes, flint and steel, (3) torches, waterskin, iron rations, blanket - 200 gp encumbrance, 10 gp cost
Sleeves, headdress and pant from gola weave (water shedding)
H. Pick Armor and Weapons and Assign Attack Bonuses
I will visually interpret this armor, is having hardened leather (cuir bouilli) gut, lower leg and lower arm protection, along with some metal flares, that’s armor type (L) for leather, and AC:8, 150gp encumb and 3gp cost
Bhakashal Armor
Attack bonus for a 1st level PC is +1 to hit
Initial number of weapons determined by class.
2. Weapon Proficiency Slots: Each class has an initial number of slots, a Non-Proficiency Penalty and gets new slots as they gain levels.
Forfeiting a weapon proficiency slot allows a +1/+1 bonus with an existing weapon
Weapons
Broad Sword [+2/+1], 2-8/2-7, WS: 3, WvrsAC: +2L/+3N, Critical: Cleave
Encum 75, price 10gp
Short Sword [+2/+1], 1-6/1-8, WS: 2, WvrsAC: -1M/+2L/+3N, Criticals: Dual Wield/Remain/Stab
Encumb 35, price 8
(6) Darts [+3/+1], 1-3/1-2, WS: 1, ROF:3, Range: 2/3/5, WvrsAC: -4M/+1N, Critical: Remain - 5gp encumb each so 30 total, and 1gp
I. Assign Wealth
All PCs start with 50 gp, a 50 gp gem and 50 gp piece of jewelry, plus 10gp per ability score bonus point in whatever form they want. So 140gp, 50 gp gem and 50 gp piece of jewelry
Deduct cost of equipment, armor and weapons - 32gp
Total 108 gp, 50 gp gem and 50 gp piece of jewelry
J. Calculate Encumbrance
Weapon Weights are found in the weapon listings. - 140
Armor Weights are found on the Armor Table - 150
Equipment weight is precalculated for equipment packs, otherwise consult the Equipment Weights table - 200
Deduct 50gp per point of CON and STR bonus - 100
Total all weight and consult the Weight/Movement table - 390, so add 110gp more before slowing
Weight/Movement Table
K. Assign Spells/Class Abilities
Jinx’s are a mixed class, they combine the abilities of Spiders (thieves) and the plant based abilities of Beastials (Druids)
Spider Abilities
+5% per point of DEX bonus:
PP: 40% OL: 35% FRT: 30% MS: 25% HIS: 20% HN: 10% CW: 85%
- Backstab: +4 to hit, x 2 to damage
Beastial Abilities
1. Identify Plant Type
2. Pass without a trace
3. Herbalism
1. A fist level Jinx can prepare herbal remedies from mixtures made of magical plant parts that cure 1-3 hp per application, three applications per batch. It takes a week of searching for components in the marshes and mixing/preparing to make a single application. They can also make contact poisons that do 1-3 hp damage on top of weapon damage, and 1 hp per round for 4 rounds thereafter, or ingested poisons that do 2x 1-3hp damage. First level Jinx’s start with 3 applications of remedy/poison in whatever mix they want, e.g., all poisons, some of both, etc.
2. A first level Jinx can also make unguents from marsh plants that repel insects, mask their odor from predators (increasing the odds of them surprising others outdoors by 1 in 6), or make them smell like animals or monsters known to the jinx. Each unguent works for 24 hours. Same preparation time as above, three applications per batch. First level Jinx’s start with 3 applications of these unguents in any combination they want.
4. Spell Casting
- A Jinx can cast a number of spells per day equal to their level.
- All Jinx spells, regardless of level, have the verbal and somatic components mentioned and 1 segment casting time per level of spell.
Spell Acquisition
The Jinx may commune with their demons for any of the listed spells. They roll a “To know” roll based on their wisdom, +1% per Jinx level. Any level spell may be asked for.
If successful the spell is tattooed on their body permanently when they wake from the trance.
If they fail they may never ask again.
If they fail with a roll of 90% or more, they may not commune for another spell for at least a month’s time.
They can do this until they have a number of tattoos on their body equal to 2x their WIS bonus + 1 additional spell per 3 levels of experience.
Jinx’s may commune for the following spells:
1. All plant related spells from all classes
2. All divination spells from all classes
3. Custom spells listed below
4. Scroll versions of any of their listed spells
So he starts with a max of 5 spells tattooed on his body. I will roll randomly for these, alternating between offensive, defensive and miscellaneous spells from his list. Normally you can ask for whatever level of spell you want, knowing that if you fail the “to know” roll, then you can’t have it. For 1st level Jinxes I recommend you distribute the spells weighted to lower levels. Further I recommend that no spell higher in level than their number of tattoos (2x their WIS bonus + 1) be given
So in our case, with a +2 bonus for WIS, multiplied by 2, +1 for 1st level, our Jinx gets 5 spells, max 5th level, to start, so let’s try:
1st - Offensive - Shillelagh
1st - Defensive - Forest Runner
2nd - Miscellaneous - Augury
4th - Offensive - Hunger Plant
4th - Defensive - Speak with Plants
I will add a staff to the PCs’ items to use with the Shilelagh spell
Bhakashal Spells
Forest Runner (Alteration)
Level: 1, Range: touch, Duration: 1 turn per level, Area of Effect: individual, Components: V,S,M, Casting Time: 2 segments, Saving Throw: none
Normal movement for an unencumbered humanoid through a moderate forest is approximately 9”, through a thick, overgrown forest, approximately 3”. When the beastial casts a forest runner spell the target can move through any kind of forest at 18” for the duration of the spell. The beastial will be doing “forest parkour” to do this, jumping and rolling, climbing trees and swinging on vines, etc. It is possible thus to climb trees effortlessly and walk along logs over streams with great dexterity, etc. The beastial may impact one other individual for every 3 levels of experience.
Hunger Plant (Alteration)
Level: 4, Casting Time: 6 segments, Range: 1”, Duration: 1 round/level, Area of Effect: 1 medium sized plant, Components: V,S,M, Saving Throw: none
When the beastial casts a hunger plant spell the plant targeted immediately transforms into a 14 foot tall “flower” with a half foot diameter thick stem and a large, leathery flower at the top consisting of two large semi-spherical halves which are large enough to swallow a medium sized or smaller creature. The hunger plant has an AC of 7, the same HP and THACO as the beastial, and an effective striking range of 5’. If the plant successfully strikes a victim instead of doing damage the victim is encompassed by the semi-spherical halves and must make a saving throw versus paralysis every round they are in the flower’s grasp. Those who fail their save are paralyzed for 2-8 rounds. A victim may attempt to cut their way out of the flower, but this will require a saving throw versus paralyzation, and can only be done with a sharp weapon. Others may attempt to cut out the victim, but any attack against the hunger plant does ½ that much damage to the victim as well.
L. Assign Personality Traits (Optional)
Up to four, rolled on DMG tables. Note that players should always get to:
Refuse or re-roll a personality trait
Interpret a personality trait
Curious, dreaming, aesthetic
M. Customize Playable Group Lore (Optional)
Collects sculptures of the gods
N. Name
Micerine Daj
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