Barwell is @thebarwell
"Bah! A hot dog for a scepter? What's its AC? And does it count as an improvised weapon or a culinary disaster?"
Race: Hill Dwarf
Class: Fighter (Battle Master 7)
Alignment: Lawful Good (with a highly pragmatic and suspicious streak)
Background: Sailor (Pirate Variant - formerly a 'respectable' privateer, then turned 'less respectable' freelance, now an adventurer)
Motivation: Barwell is driven by a strong sense of honor (his own kind of dwarf-honor, mind you), a desire for good ale and sturdy craftsmanship, and an innate need to protect his comrades. He values practicality, martial prowess, and a good fight. His current involvement with Princess Hanavari's peculiar situation is a matter of both stubborn loyalty to his adventuring party and a deep, intellectual (if gruffly expressed) curiosity about truly bizarre phenomena. He seeks to understand threats, uphold order, and ensure his friends (even the inexplicably winged ones) remain safe. He also has a secondary, undeclared mission: to properly identify, categorize, and if possible, apply martial statistics to every strange thing he encounters.
Hit Points: 76 (7d10 + Con mod x 7 + Hill Dwarf bonus x 7)
Armor Class: 18 (Chain Shirt + Buckler + Defense Fighting Style)
Speed: 25ft
Initiative: +1
STRDEXCONINTWISCHA16 (+3)12 (+1)15 (+2)10 (+0)13 (+1)8 (-1)
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Saving Throws: Strength (+6), Constitution (+5)
Skills: Athletics (+6), Perception (+4), Intimidation (+2), Survival (+4), Acrobatics (+4), Navigator's Tools (+3)
Armor: All Armor, Shields
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
Tools: Navigator's Tools, Brewer's Supplies
Languages: Common, Dwarvish, Goblin, Orc
Weapons:
"Seabreaker" (Warhammer): A masterwork warhammer, its head etched with intricate dwarven runes and a stylized crashing wave. Functions as a +1 Warhammer. On a critical hit, the target must make a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
"Barnacle-Gnawer" (Scimitar): A curved scimitar, surprisingly sharp for its weathered appearance, often drawn for unexpected foes.
Handaxe (x2): Reliable throwing weapons or backup melee.
Armor:
"Iron-Ribbed Shirt" (Chain Shirt): A sturdy chain shirt, reinforced with strips of leather. AC 13 + Dex Modifier.
"Skull-and-Crossbones Buckler": A small, round buckler made of tough hide and reinforced iron, emblazoned with a skull and crossbones motif. AC +2.
Other Gear:
Backpack: Containing rope, bedroll, mess kit, tinderbox, waterskin, 10 days of rations.
Pouch: Containing 90 gp, a few rare dwarven coins, a small, intricate metal puzzle box.
Brewer's Supplies: His portable kit for brewing a passable (or even excellent) ale.
Navigator's Tools: A well-used compass, sextant, and charts, even if adventuring far from the sea.
Small Wooden Tankard: Always at his side.
"Eye of the Kraken" (Spyglass): A sturdy brass spyglass. (See Magic Items).
Dwarven Resilience (Hill Dwarf): Advantage on saving throws against poison, and he has resistance against poison damage.
Stonecunning (Dwarf): Whenever he makes an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, he is considered proficient in the History skill and adds double his proficiency bonus to the check.
Dwarven Toughness (Hill Dwarf): His hit point maximum increases by 1 for every level he gains. (Already factored in).
Fighting Style (Defense - Fighter 1): While wearing armor, he gains a +1 bonus to AC.
Second Wind (Fighter 1): On his turn, he can use a bonus action to regain 1d10 + his fighter level hit points (1d10+7). Once used, he must finish a short or long rest before using it again.
Action Surge (Fighter 2): Once per short or long rest, on his turn, he can take one additional action.
Combat Superiority (Battle Master 3): He gains 5 Superiority Dice (d8). He can expend one superiority die to use one of the following maneuvers:
Known Maneuvers:
Trip Attack: When he hits a creature with a weapon attack, he can expend one superiority die to attempt to knock the target prone. Add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll. If the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw (DC 14) or be knocked prone.
Pushing Attack: When he hits a creature with a weapon attack, he can expend one superiority die to attempt to drive the target back. Add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll. If the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw (DC 14) or be pushed up to 15 feet away.
Menacing Attack: When he hits a creature with a weapon attack, he can expend one superiority die to attempt to frighten the target. Add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll. If the target is frightened, it must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 14) or be frightened until the end of his next turn.
Parry: When another creature damages him with a melee attack, he can use his reaction and expend one superiority die to reduce the damage by the number rolled on his superiority die + his Dexterity modifier (1).
Riposte: When a creature misses him with a melee attack, he can use his reaction and expend one superiority die to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. If he hits, add the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.
Extra Attack (Fighter 5): He can attack twice, instead of once, whenever he takes the Attack action on his turn.
Student of War (Battle Master 3): He gains proficiency with one type of artisan's tools of his choice (Brewer's Supplies).
Know Your Enemy (Battle Master 7): If he spends at least 1 minute observing or interacting with another creature outside combat, he can learn certain information about its capabilities compared to his own.
"Seabreaker":
Weapon (Warhammer), rare (requires attunement)
Functions as a +1 Warhammer.
"Crushing Wave": On a critical hit with this weapon, the target must make a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
"Dwarven Respite": Once per long rest, Barwell can spend 1 minute meditating with the hammer to brew a small tankard of invigorating dwarven ale. Drinking it heals 2d4+2 hit points and ends the poisoned condition.
"Eye of the Kraken" (Spyglass):
Wondrous Item, uncommon
A sturdy brass spyglass with barnacle-like engravings.
"Far-Sight": Allows Barwell to see clearly up to 1 mile away, ignoring light obscurance (but not heavy obscurance).
"Hidden Depths": Once per short rest, when observing a creature or object through the spyglass for at least 1 minute, he can make a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check. On a success, he discerns one "unusual" characteristic about it that is not immediately obvious (e.g., a faint magical aura, a subtle structural weakness, a nervous tic in a person).
Barwell spent much of his youth among the dwarves, learning the smithing trade and developing a deep appreciation for sturdy craftsmanship and a good pint of ale. However, the call of the open sea and the lure of adventure were strong. He joined a privateer crew, finding a natural aptitude for combat and tactics. His "piratical flair" comes from years spent battling sea monsters, rival ships, and the occasional kraken. He's a veteran, valuing practical experience over fancy magic (though he's pragmatic enough to acknowledge its power).
He joined the current adventuring party after a particularly rowdy tavern brawl (which he may or may not have started). His loyalty, once given, is unwavering. He's gruff, outspoken, and often suspicious of things he doesn't immediately understand – which, when it comes to Princess Hanavari, is quite a lot. He's the one who will question the structural integrity of a magical portal, demand the precise measurements of a mythical beast, and, most importantly, try to figure out the exact combat applications of a hot dog.
His primary reaction to the "Ascension" is bewilderment, particularly directed at the hot dog. He's constantly trying to categorize and analyze the strangeness through a lens of combat and practical application. Despite his often-blunt demeanor and initial grumbling, he has a good heart, a strong moral compass (even if it's calibrated to dwarven standards), and will always stand by his companions, even if they occasionally sprout wings and wield questionable foodstuffs. He might complain, but he'll always fight.