The Dash Action

Tomas of Tyr (if he had a full beard) Image by Kanaru92 [3 min read] Tomas puts the heavy hammer down on the hard rocky earth of the foothills of the Galena Mountains, north of Eldrus, the handle damp with toil. Rubbing his face, feeling the stubble growing defiantly, he smiles ruefully and muses to himself. "A great big dwarven hammer, the makings of a beard, hard stone under foot. Why Tomas, you're seemingly more and more a Torunn of Mithral Hall again." But the facial hair is far from a dwarf in his prime, the rocks in the area are barren of precious metal, and switching to the maul as a weapon of war is a reflection of devotion to Tyr, the god of Justice, represented by his holy symbol depicting a giant hammer supporting scales. "No, you'll shave this scraggly growth off, come back from the wilderness with head held high, to represent your deity, your town, and your company once more with pride Tomas of Tyr. Reconciliation with the dwarves of your homeland is...

Preparing a showdown with your Big Bad Evil Guy Image by Andree Wallin  [10 min read] Last month was the mid-campaign crescendo for our Moonsea Madness  group, and boy did it deliver in terms of an epic confrontation with the Big Bad Evil Guy (BBEG) hinted at in prior sessions. I'm going to recap the highlights from the story, but also talk to the tactics our DM used to ensure a very satisfying conclusion, both narratively and mechanically.  Previously, on Moonsea Madness The prior session ended with the party, the self proclaimed Eldritch Inferno Inc., dispatching a recurring villain with a penchant for riding black dragons. Vashti, Great Old One warlock, had been busy enlisting support from both the Zhentarim and the Red Wizards of Thay in order to secure the power of the divine shard of Mystra that was present in the mysterious floating tower in Solus, the ruined town in the Moonsea which the party has been reclaiming and rebuilding throughout the campaign.  As th...

  Image by AppleSin [7 min read] Things are really coming to a crescendo in our homebrew campaign, Moonsea Madness , as some of the loose threads get resolved around the divine shards and the key players exploiting their power. Read the journal of Thrandul Vilitar, the lich whom the party encountered in a dungeon in Thar, driving him to flee to another plane but letting him remain an actor in this story. Thanks to our talented Dungeon Master for writing this major plot reveal! Record of the Ascension of Thrandul Vilitar 1378 DR Entry 55 Solus - Tower Word has finally reached me of the possible existence of the artefact I have been seeking since I first heard the gods had been cast down to the realms. I believe my hypothesis was correct – that with all the divine powers being thrust into the prime material plane at once, some of their divine essence may have been shed in the transition and manifested in physical form.  My contact has confirmed rumours of a mysterious shard bein...

  Image by Unreal Engine [2 min read] This is in response to our DM asking the party do we want to reconsider the offer of the Aegis Arcana to join them as full members, rather than being contractors of theirs as we ultimately chose in that meeting. Tomas awakens, exhausted and lying prone on the ground, his right hand clutching the holy symbol of Tyr which he must have unconsciously reached for during his horrific visions. Ears ringing from the explosion, and his body wracked with pain from the fiend’s diseased claw, Tomas picks himself up slowly and tries to gather his thoughts. But calm eludes him as his mind races, desperately trying to make sense of all that has happened over the past months.  Twice now the party has uncovered powerful slivers of divine power - first of Azuth back in the demi-lich’s dungeon in Thar, and now of Bane in the hideout of the Cult of the Shadowmoon - and twice these were being corrupted for foul purposes and the perversion of natural life. Dest...

Image: Forgotten Realms Wiki [4 min read] A debrief over Discord posts from our illustrious Dungeon Master, recapping events after the climactic ending to our last mission, where our heroes vanquished Duke Valmont, leader of the Cult of the Shadowmoon (and actually a Rakshasa). The pull of tyranny makes itself known... Black lightning arcs around the cavern from the collapsing form of the crystal as it appears to begin imploding. Rocks fall from the cavernous roof and lava spews from magmatic pools, spraying everywhere in the upheaval. Clinging desperately the back of the emerald dragon, you all see Jaee lost in a trance at the cavern entry with arcane energy pouring from her hands into an ever widening portal. Her pupil-less eyes radiate a purple glow as she growls over the cacophony "GET IN THE PORTAL!". The dragon hesitates but a second before altering its course, snatching Jaee's small form in its sizeable claws on its way past into the portal. The implosion...explode...

[7 min read] Started:  early 2021, I joined June 2021, currently active Synopsis:  a home-brewed campaign with the heroes chasing divine artifacts left during the Time of Troubles on behalf of the Aegis Arcana. The action started around the Moonsea region of the Forgotten Realms, but has taken the heroes into Corymr and Sembia as the mysterious Cult of the Shadowmoon begins to reveal their influence over the region. Player-Characters:  Tomas of Tyr  - Shield Dwarf Paladin / Divine Soul Sorcerer of Tyr "The Liberator" Kingsley Bladesong -  Human Battlemaster Fighter "The Bloodied" Rathius -  Human Thief Rogue / Divination Wizard Jaee of Witcher's Deep - Half-Elf Evocation Wizard "The Destroyer" This post serves as a recap from after Tomas joined the campaign at 5th level. Meeting the party - a dungeon in Thar When Tomas, an acolyte of Tyr, completed his martial training and left Sundabar, he had come into his divine power as a Paladin. Tyr sent him...

  [4 min read] Tomas started his adventuring career as a Paladin focused on dealing damage with long pointy sticks using Polearm Mastery and Great Weapon fighting style, all in the name of vengeance on behalf of his god, Tyr. Recently Tomas was infused with Arcane power, multiclassing into a Divine Soul Sorcerer, which was a much deliberated character choice (you can see my analysis here ). And that is where the theorycrafting stops, right? Wrong! Tomas is yet again confronted with a potential character-defining choice - whether to use a shield. Ok, so maybe not as character-defining as multiclassing, but one that deserves some analysis. But first, how did this choice come about? In our most recent adventure in the Moonsea Madness campaign, while exploring the incredibly disturbing mountain hideaway of the Cult of the Shadowmoon, the party defeated a gelatinous cube (the first in all our player's living memories, across decades of D&D!). The Cube was destroyed, leaving a pile ...

[7 min read]   When I created Tomas of Tyr as my first character coming back to Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition, I really didn't have a well-defined concept and backstory in mind. I wanted to be a powerful damage dealer, read that Oath of Vengeance Paladins were strong, and chose Mountain Dwarf because of the +2 bonus to Strength and Constitution. Ie. I min/maxed a character based on a desired combat role of single target damage dealer with some support spells for self and party. (FYI, by the time of the first session I had fleshed out a back story here .) And at 5th level, Tomas was already realising that vision - capable of 3x polearm attacks with Extra Attack and Polearm Mastery, 2d10+1d4+15 damage per round (28 avg) if all attacks hit. Going full nova with Divine Smites on all three, using two second level and one first level spell slots, that increased by 8d8 (avg 36). Ie. a total of 64 average damage in a single turn. Not bad at all!  But... soon after starting pla...

Image by  Reddit user KeroKerosene [5 min read] A narrative explanation for my character, Tomas of Tyr , to multi-class into Divine Soul Sorcerer. In the Moonsea Madness campaign, Tomas and the party are touched by Azuth and each granted a bespoke eldritch power. I decided to lean into that as a way to develop my character. For a more mechanical view of that transition, please see my exercise on multi-class planning here . Tomas bursts into the safehouse through the secure door, his previously gleaming plate armour now covered in ash, body slumped over in exhaustion. He puts down his beloved warhammer, stands upright and catches his breath for a moment. Looking up at your party with hazel eyes flashing and cheeks flushed with excitement, Tomas seems strangely energised, as if some power is lending him strength as he draws you into his serious gaze. ‘Friends, I have been on quite the journey this past night, and I feel compelled to share the impact of the extraordinary events, that...

Image by  www.thievesguild.cc [1 min read] Provided by my Dungeon Master as flavour for Tomas of Tyr . Tomas stands in the market in Mulmaster quietly watching the bustle of the crowd. Taking in the everyday lives paying out before him,  he notices a figure slowly working his way towards him. The large bearded figure is deific in bearing, carrying a large hammer in one hand. Tomas startles as he realises the man is blind and missing his other hand. 'Tyr!' He gasps.  'Tomas, my acolyte,' Tyr says in greeting in his deep resonant voice, leaning casually against the wall next to Tomas. Several feet taller than Tomas, Tomas falls to his knees.  'My Lord!' Tyr urges Tomas to his feet and he slowly rises.  'How can I serve?' Tomas asks in supplication. All of a sudden the perspective shifts and the two of them now stand amongst the ruins of a temple.  'Bringing justice is needed here my son. Your fervour brings you credit,  but you must finish what you sta...