Standard Array Challenge

ZanathKariashi

Create a character using a standardized set of scores. (or multiple if you want multiple PC characters).

17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12. (total 87). Can be arranged however you like but you must still meet all minimum requirements of your chosen class.

Apply racial/kit bonuses/penalties after distribution, character must still meet all of their class/kits minimum scores by the end of creation.

Race -

Dwarf = +1 Con, - 1 Cha

Elf = +1 Dex, -1 Con

Gnome = +1 int, -1 Wis

Halfling = -1 str, +1 Dex

Half-elf/Human - None

Half-Orc = +1 str, +1 Con, -2 Cha

Class -

Avenger = -2 str, -2 Con

nano

Are we allowed to use NPCs?

In any case, I decided to use the random character chart and rolled up:

Leomar, male NG half-elf beastmaster

13 str
17 dex
16 con
12 int
14 wis
15 cha

I specialized him in darts and crossbows as I haven't had tried those much. Attempted to help myself to the goodies in the Elven Arse Inn but only got 6 gold out of it due to my strength. But with a regenerating pseudo dragon at level 1, beastmasters are better than I expected!

I'm hoping I won't have to reload, but no promises.

ZanathKariashi

Yeah NPCs are fine, the majority of them are pretty close to this challenge in ability scores anyway.

nano

I've not done a challenge game before so this playthrough will be... interesting. I'll try and recount any adventures or mishaps here.

Leo heads to the Friendly Arm Inn with Imoen, Xzar, and Monty in tow. I figured he'd be able to take down the wizard fairly easily with darts and a party and a familiar, but the assassin manages to get his spells off anyways. In the end, it falls to the familiar to take him down with the help of a guard, while the rest of the party is busy cowering or napping in various corners of the keep. Not a promising start...

We pick up Ajantis and Viconia and do some quests around Beregost. I pawn off a certain ring in order to buy a wand of sleep. Leo's charm animal ability proves quite useful as bears are surprisingly tanky and his damage output with dart specialization is great. At this point I'm feeling pretty confident so the party heads off to the ogre area northeast of Nashkel to test out Leo's dart skill combined with his favored enemy. Xzar is unanimously elected to be the ogre bait, but while running around attempting to look tasty he trips over a rock (I misclicked) and he's flattened by a morning star.

The party unflattens his gear and treks over to Nashkel where we recruit Edwin as a replacement. We journey back to the ogre zone and kill a few more ogres, this time with Leomar scouting ahead in stealth mode and Edwin casting sleep. Running ahead, Leo spots a trio of bandits near the middle of the map and uses a charge on his wand trying to put them to sleep. None of them are impressed by the attempt and he nearly dies to an arrow. The rest of the party makes a halfhearted attempt at fighting back before making an enthusiastic retreat, right into a pack of ogres that I could have sworn wasn't there before. While trying to flee in two directions at once Monty gets smashed by an ogre, and as he was carrying most of the good loot we're forced to make a stand. Ajantis makes a heroic grab for the gear but an ogre crushes him as well.

Thankfully, we've lost the bandits so I finally decide to stop being stingy with the wand and authorize its use to win the battle. But now we're in an awkward situation - without Ajantis and Montaron, none of us have enough strength to carry everything. I'm determined to hold on to our platemail as well as the magic weapons we have, so I settle for being encumbered on the way back to Nashkel. As luck would have it, we're ambushed by bandits on the way. The party is in no shape for a fight, and I'm not willing to ditch the platemail that's burdening Leo. I make the dubious decision of having Leo strip off his studded leather and drop it, but apparently the bandits are too confused by the suddenly naked beastmaster to shoot at him properly and the party escapes with their lives, if not their dignity.