Callies Song – Balia Kilaim

Design Notes

Starting with the attribute rolls of : 17; 13; 9; 16; 14; 11.  It is starting to look like this adventuring party will be sorely lacking in Wisdom.  As a Dwarf, this stat line works very well. If the CON roll had been a 15 instead of a 14, I would probably drop the Dexterity by 2 to raise the Con by 1 to enhance the tanking potential for the dwarf.

The weapon choices are the easiest thing for the dwarf because Demihumans like Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings, all have basic weapon proficiency will all weapons they can use at First Level.  As a classic dwarf, let’s double down on the Warhammer as the preferred weapon and raise that proficiency to Skilled.

Similarly, all Dwarves know Common (which I am using Thyatian for in this game), Dwarvish, their alignment tongue, gnomish, and common tribal languages for goblins, kobolds, and orcs.

For skills, Mining and Engineering are required of Dwarves in the Rockhome Gazetteer while Muscle plays into the classic, some would say stereotypical, dwarf persona.  Gambling provides some personality while Blind Shooting is a more functional choice. As far as learned skills, for purposes of our little crew’s story, I’ll add Brawling she picked up from Khaa Roark.

Optional D &D Rules

We’ve discussed the weapon specialization choices earlier, meaning the only option advanced for Balia is her Warhammer. She also has the common dwarven Demihuman abilities like infravision and stone cunning that continue for dwarves to this day.

• Warhammer – Skilled

Balia has a +2 with her Warhammer against  hand held weapon using opponents, but only a +1 against missile wielding or monstrous opponents. She does gain a -2 AC bonus against the first two missile or monstrous attacks in a round and has a base damage of 1d6+2

Character Notes

Sometimes life deals you a bad hand.  Balia was born to parents who left Rockhome to settle in the Grand Duchy of Karameikos, the old Traldaran country that was being settled by Thyatians to expand their influence.  The unfortunate part is that Balia’s parents went to what would become the Black Eagle Barony instead of following the Strongbow clan with the other dwarves. Her father was an accomplished engineer and heard that there was much work coming in the building of this new Grand Duchy. In choosing the Black Eagle Barony, he was trying to avoid competition from other dwarves for his skills, but the Black Eagle Barony is ruled by the stereotypical mustache twirling villain, Ludwig von Hendriks.  The Baron is assisted by Bargle(“the Infamous”), whose name is often just used as a curse by players who started their D & D experience in Karameikos.

In trying to eke out their lives, Balia ended up working the docks using her strength and stout build to stevedore goods from ship to the warehouses while also learning the traditional skills and upbringing of a good Dwarf.   She kept her family’s pride alive proving that she would be a good dwarven wife, but rebellion was far from her parents’ minds. This too would pass and the Black Eagle Barony would recede into the past as the stony dwarves soldiered on.  Balia didn’t see it quite that way.

Perhaps it was the time around all the humans that led to such an outspoken youth.  Perhaps it was never truly knowing the depth of a mountain that spurred her dwarven pride.  Regardless of what it was, when Bargle had goods being shipped through the docks, she diverted them and set them ablaze.  With no choice left to stay behind, she grabbed a suit of armor from another ship and her trusty warhammer that her father planned to pass to his next son and ran.  If it wasn’t for the distraction Khaa Roark caused at the border, Baron Von Hendrick’s men would have found her straight away. In an odd turn of fate, a dwarf owed her continued life to an Ork stumbling through the woods.

She’s been a steady arm for Allyn and provided some expertise where appropriate, but her greatest fear is still in the back of her head – Bargle knew it was her and her parents are suffering.  One day, she plans to have Allyn head back to the Black Eagle Barony and rescue her clan, but for now she contents herself by good ale and some bar brawls with Khaa Roark. Besides, for an Ork, Khaa Roark isn’t that bad looking.  

Balia

Callie’s Song Overview Here.

Fillable Sheet from  Left Rachael Strange Sock available at Pandius.com

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