Free Fantasy eBooks, September 17th to 21st

I periodically have book sales (usually half price) and also free ebook offers. Currently the following fantasy ebooks are available from September 17th until September 21st:

 

Dark Shadows in the Moonlight

The Bogatyr knight has been hired by a Habbel village to track down a forest demon that murdered three children and kill it, but can he defeat the huge beast? And why did the demonic Leshy attack the Habbel village in the first place?

"
The Adventures of the Bogatyr" is a series of short stories, novelettes and novellas, telling the tales of a wandering Bogatyr knight who encounters strange magical phenomenon, unusual creatures (both living and undead), and the sometimes mean spirited humans, elves and other humanoids who live in the kingdom of Korovia.

Learn more about the kingdom of Korovia by visiting fiction.charlesmoffat.com/korovia/


The Cult of the She-Bear

Wulfric the Wanderer has traveled back in time to Korovia's Stone Age, when it is on the cusp of the Bronze Age. He has earned the trust and respect of the chieftain Ko Margus, and Wulfric has accepted that he is somehow destined to be trapped in this time period for the time being. But trouble is afoot. The priest of the tribe doesn't trust him and is growing suspicious. Worse, the tribe is being splintered between those who worship the tribe's horse god and a cult within their ranks of those who worship a she-bear goddess.

When the tribe finds megalithic carvings of bears in the side of a mountain the two sides begin to bicker about whether to destroy the carvings. Wulfric decides to investigate the nearby caves and the cave art within, finding more caverns that delve deeper into the mountain. What he doesn't know is that the bear carvings outside are magical wards that prevent a demonic entity inside the mountain from escaping. If the carvings are destroyed the entity will be freed and it will be able to feed once more...

 


The Quorum of Kaŝe

Books I and II of The Quorum of Kaŝe duology by Charles Moffat.

The Dragontree of Kaŝe

Adaoma is working in her crystal ball and magical orb shop in the mystical hidden city of Kaŝe off the coast from Lagos, Nigeria when she receives a strange phone call from her twin sister Adaora. Her twin tells her that terrorists have escaped from Rura Penthe, the extra-dimensional prison for housing criminal wizards and witches. But to escape the clutches of the law the terrorists need a portal to another world and only one such portal exists: The Dragontree of Kaŝe.

Join Adaoma and Adaora on their adventures as they travel from Nigeria and Greenland to London to Nigeria and back to the hidden city of Kaŝe as they struggle to stop the terrorists from escaping. But the terrorists didn't escape by accident. They had help from the biggest dragon anyone has ever seen. They might be skilled witches, but they are no match for a gigantic dragon that is immune to magic.

The Dragonslayers of Kaŝe


Adaora wants revenge on the huge ancient dragon who destroyed the mystical hidden city of Kaŝe that lies off the coast of Lagos Nigeria. Her home is in ruins and while the survivors are rebuilding the city it will never be the same. The scars run too deep. She isn't alone either. Others like her want to kill the dragon, but killing the dragon is no easy matter. It is almost completely immune to magic. Witches, war wizards, archmages... It doesn't matter. Their magic is useless against the dragon.

"Like trying to kill a fish by splashing it with water." So says her twin sister Adaoma. Her twin is resistant to getting revenge on the dragon, but together Orry and Oma must find a way. They know how to get to the dragon's home world via the Dragontree of Kaŝe, and they know how to find the dragon using a new Dragonorb that Oma is making. Once they are there however they need to use some mundane means to kill the dragon - and without getting killed themselves.

 

WANT MORE FREE EBOOKS OR SALES?

Check amazon.com/author/moffat once per week to see what is available for free or on sale.

Many of the stories are also available in paperback format if you prefer paper over digital.


WANT TO ADVERTISE YOUR FANTASY BOOKS ON NERDOVORE.COM?

Only $20 USD per post. Contact lilithgallery@gmail.com for more details.

Weird Westerns by Charles Moffat

A Dark Road in Louisiana

By Charles Moffat

Release Date: October 1st 2022

The Atchafalaya Basin is a home to giants.

Alligators, boars and other strange things that an unwary traveler may fall prey to when traversing the swamp alone. Such foul creatures stalk the waterways and pockets of dry land, shrouded by ancient trees that survive amongst the muck, that only a fool would travel through such a place on foot. Let alone late at night.

The sucking sound of mud on boots added to the deluge of noises in the twilight of the swamp. A narrow path made its way through the swamp, but the man from Salem, Massachusetts, was unbothered by the noises or the fading light of the sun in the west. What nocturnal creatures fed here, or during the day, didn't seem to bother him. Even the mosquitoes stayed out of his way.

The most dangerous creatures in this swamp were likely men after all. Thieves. Bank robbers. Murderers. From both west and east of Louisiana, it mattered not where they came from. There was a long list of outlaws who would seek refuge in such a place, braving the alligators rather than face the long arm of the law.

But the man from Salem was no law man. He was tall and well built, handsome even, despite the black beard and wavy black hair, with a lean waist and scars on his well muscled arms and hands. His piercing grey-blue eyes stared into the darkness, shrouded by the brim of his black stetson. How old he was was anyone's guess. Thirty? Forty? Fifty? There were touches of grey in his beard and hair, but his face seemed to be grizzled more by the mileage he had traveled rather than by the years he had lived.

One might have mistaken him for a law man, perhaps, but just as likely they might think he was an outlaw too. An outlaw down on his luck as he had no horse, but carried over his left shoulder a dark brown saddle speckled with dried blood. He could be a Confederate soldier too, or a deserter, judging by the twin LeMat revolvers snug in their holsters of his well worn gun belt, but he bore no other markings of such a man.

...

Want to keep reading this historical dark fantasy / weird west short story by Charles Moffat? Order the ebook from Amazon: A Dark Road in Louisiana.

+

Folly of the Forlorn
By Charles Moffat
Release Date: December 1st 2022
"The Man from Salem" is visiting Niagara Falls, on the American side of the border, and settles down for an evening of playing poker. His opponent? A tall, thin and handsomely dressed stranger that has somehow enthralled all of the staff at an inn that overlooks the falls...

...

A Weird Western / historical dark fantasy short story by Charles Moffat. Order the ebook from Amazon: Folly of the Forlorn.


Free Fantasy eBooks, September 10th to 14th

 I periodically have book sales (usually half price) and also free ebook offers. Currently the following fantasy ebooks are available from September 10th until September 14th:

 

Portal of Destiny

Wulfric has grown weary of hunting in the Snowfell Mountains of Korovia and decides to head south, looking for danger and adventure. What he finds however is a portal that takes him back in time to when legendary warriors walked the land, and when great dragons ate warriors like himself as a snack.

The legendary origin story of Sword and Sorcery hero Wulfric the Wanderer.

 Visit fiction.charlesmoffat.com/korovia/ to learn more about the land of Korovia and other books by Charles Moffat.

 

The Bogatyr & the Rusalka's Lament

The Bogatyr knight hears the haunting singing of a Rusalka before arriving in the Habbel city of Shorin, where he later learns that there is a wanted poster for the Rusalka. Short on coin, he hatches a scheme for how to defeat her, but killing her and actually getting paid for his hard often requires a little extra effort.

"
The Adventures of the Bogatyr" is a series of short stories, novelettes and novellas, telling the tales of a wandering Bogatyr knight who encounters strange magical phenomenon, unusual creatures (both living and undead), and the sometimes mean spirited humans, elves and other humanoids who live in the kingdom of Korovia.

 



The Dragontree of Kaŝe

Adaoma is working in her crystal ball and magical orb shop in the mystical hidden city of Kaŝe off the coast from Lagos, Nigeria when she receives a strange phone call from her twin sister Adaora. Her twin tells her that terrorists have escaped from Rura Penthe, the extra-dimensional prison for housing criminal wizards and witches. But to escape the clutches of the law the terrorists need a portal to another world and only one such portal exists: The Dragontree of Kaŝe.

Join Adaoma and Adaora on their adventures as they travel from Nigeria and Greenland to London and Lagos and back to the hidden city of Kaŝe as they struggle to stop the terrorists from escaping. But the terrorists didn't escape by accident. They had help from the biggest dragon anyone has ever seen. They might be skilled witches, but they are no match for a gigantic dragon that is immune to magic.

Canadian author Charles Moffat explores AfroFantasy, Urban Fantasy and High Fantasy in this fast paced fantasy adventure for all ages. Learn more by visiting fiction.charlesmoffat.com.


The Sunken Castle

Wrathgar and Soljargon are venturing south towards the capital city of Oraknev and are hired by a group of four gnomes to help them navigate through a flooded swamp in order to create a new trade route. The gnomes suspect the region is now populated with snake worshipers who follow the snake god Set, but much worse than snakes now populates this forbidding trek of swampy land. When they arrive at a castle sunken into the swamp they decide to make camp for night... And then things go from bad to worse.

Part of The Adventures of Wrathgar series of novels and short stories. Visit fiction.charlesmoffat.com to see the reading order.


WANT MORE FREE EBOOKS OR SALES?

Check amazon.com/author/moffat once per week to see what is available for free or on sale.

Many of the stories are also available in paperback format if you prefer paper over digital. 



1/2 Price Sales!

The following two ebooks are also currently on sale (half price) from September 10th to 16th. However these particular sales are only good in the USA and the UK.

The Assassin's Trail

$2.99 (regularly $5.99) per ebook.

$9.99 per paperback, $19.99 per hardcover.

Five years after undergoing the Test of Manhood, young Wrathgar has come of age and is tasked with bringing back the head of the murderer Muddenklaw who sought vengeance against his own people and murdered innocents. But Muddenklaw has escaped from the Snowfell Mountains and fled south past the dreaded Ogre Swamp to the more civilized lands to the south, becoming a murderer-for-hire.

Will Wrathgar be able to find the murderer, and bring about justice for those who were killed? Or will Muddenklaw escape into a world of assassins who hide in the shadows waiting to strike? Who will win in the showdown between the barbarian ranger and the assassin?

 

The Coven's Wolves

$4.99 (regularly $9.99) per ebook.

$15.99 per paperback, $29.99 per hardcover.

Wrathgar has decided to wait out the harsh Korovian winter in an inn south of Oraknev, home to legendary hot springs said to have healing properties. But not everything at the hot springs are as they seem. First one of the guests is mysteriously murdered and the bite marks suggest they were mauled by some kind of large wolf. Dark forces are at work at the hot springs and the other people staying at the inn to wait out the winter are in for more danger than they bargained for at a place that is supposed to increase your longevity.

With bow and arrow, Wrathgar and others set out to kill the mysterious wolf that is killing the inn's patrons, but there is more than one wolf - and some of the wolves are possessed by some kind of dark magic. They begin to fear they are but lambs to the slaughter.

A fantastical murder mystery story by Charles Moffat set in the kingdom of Korovia. Learn more by visiting fiction.charlesmoffat.com


Book Review: "Bard" by Keith Taylor

Today I reviewed "Bard", a comedic fantasy/historical fantasy by Keith Taylor. Highly recommended to anyone playing a Bard in Dungeons and Dragons. 

 

Free Fantasy eBooks, September 3rd to 7th

I periodically have book sales (usually half price) and also free ebook offers. Currently the following fantasy ebooks are available from September 3rd until September 7th:

The Dragonslayers of Kaŝe

Adaora wants revenge on the huge ancient dragon who destroyed the mystical hidden city of Kaŝe that lies off the coast of Lagos Nigeria. Her home is in ruins and while the survivors are rebuilding the city it will never be the same. The scars run too deep. She isn't alone either. Others like her want to kill the dragon, but killing the dragon is no easy matter. It is almost completely immune to magic. Witches, war wizards, archmages... It doesn't matter. Their magic is useless against the dragon.

"Like trying to kill a fish by splashing it with water." So says her twin sister Adaoma. Her twin is resistant to getting revenge on the dragon, but together Orry and Oma must find a way. They know how to get to the dragon's home world via the Dragontree of Kaŝe, and they know how to find the dragon using a new Dragonorb that Oma is making. Once they are there however they need to use some mundane means to kill the dragon - and without getting killed themselves.

Book II of the Quorum of Kaŝe Duology. Part of Moffat's "Alt-Earth" series



Black Monoliths of Al-Kazar

Tahira, Wulfric's great love, is dead and the barbarian from Korovia decides to strike out on his own. His journey brings him to a Quinian trading post on the coast of Al-Kazar... But what he encounters there however is black magic and 'Black Monoliths of Al-Kazar'. Forced into slavery Wulfric the Wanderer must unlock his own rage within the dark abyss of his soul.





The She-Wolf of Eraska

The Bogatyr knight, Ilya Bogdanovic, regales the minstrel Valeska with a story of werewolves while waiting for service at the Griffon and Gables. But the story takes a dark turn when he reveals the werewolves are led by a She-Wolf, one of the legendary progenitors of lycanthropy, who have other more devious means for turning men into werewolves...

"The Adventures of the Bogatyr" is a series of short stories, novelettes and novellas, telling the tales of a wandering Bogatyr knight who encounters strange magical phenomenon, unusual creatures (both living and undead), and the sometimes mean spirited humans, elves and other humanoids who live in the kingdom of Korovia.


WANT MORE FREE EBOOKS OR SALES?

Check amazon.com/author/moffat once per week to see what is available for free or on sale.

Helene Half-Elven of Weyvin - 3rd Edition D&D Pregenerated Character

I am currently in the planning stage for running a 3rd Edition (3.0) campaign set in Korovia, which will be a comedic fantasy, in contrast to some of my previous campaigns which focused on:

  • The Stone Age-Bronze Age Cusp
  • The Dark Ages
  • The War of the Usurper (Heroes)
  • The War of the Usurper (Time Paradox Survivors)

In order to facilitate comedic storytelling I have opted to use pregenerated characters during the comedic fantasy campaign, which will also be set during the War of the Usurper. Below are the stats for one of the characters who will be appearing in the comedic fantasy campaign.

 


 

Helene Half-Elven of Weyvin

3rd level Half-Elf Cleric of Metrequia, Neutral Good

  • Str 9
  • Dex 15
  • Con 13
  • Int 11
  • Wis 17
  • Chr 14

Physical Description - Helene is very short and very skinny, which is reflected in her low strength. She is 4'7" tall and 82 lbs. (Her height/weight varies a bit by Edition as it is literally the absolute smallest height/weight allowed by the edition for a female half-elf.) Her armour, weapons, shield and clothes are decorated with symbols of Metrequia, such that they also double as holy symbols.

Personality - Helene is obsessed with fashion / collecting clothes and her devotion to the silver moon goddess Metrequia, arguably in that order. She has a bubbly / talkative personality, but can also be serious and even a good leader when forced to be. (I modeled part of her personality from Quinn Morgendorfer from the TV show "Daria", so feel free to watch a few episodes of that to get a feel for her character.)

Background - Helene was raised by her half-elven parents in Weyvin, a port city where half-elves are relatively common. Both of her parents were scholars and academics, and as such she was expected to go into academia, but instead chose to join the priesthood of Metrequia.

Tactics - Helene sees herself as a dedicated healer and support to other characters, especially any characters who worship Metrequia, Valmaria or Belnark.

Hit Points - 9 per level (27)

Belongings of Note - Banded Mail, Steel Shield, Small Warhammer. She has a tendency to travel light.

Base Attack Bonus +2

Saving Throws

  • Fort +4
  • Ref +3
  • Will +6

Half-Elf Abilities - Immunity to Sleep spells, +2 vs Charm spells, Low Light Vision, Elven Alertness (+1 to spot, search, listen).

Cleric Abilities - Turn Undead, Divine Spellcasting, Domain Spells (Good and Healing).

Feats - Improved Shield Bash, Extra Turning.

Skills - Concentration, Diplomacy, Fashion Knowledge, Heal, Religion Knowledge.

Languages - Common (Korovian), Elvish.

Preferred Spells

0 (4 per day) - Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Light, Virtue.

1 (3+1) - Cure Light Wounds, Bless, Command, Protection from Evil.

2 (3+1) - Cure Moderate Wounds, Hold Person, Silence.


Notes

  • Starting Stats for All Characters - 17, 15, 14, 13, 11, 9.
  • All characters (and baddies) have Max Hit Points.

Wrathgar Dungeons and Dragons Stats - 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th Editions

Wrathgar Baarstammderstark (aka Wrathgar, Son of Wulfric) is the main character from "The Adventures of Wrathgar" book series by Charles Moffat (yours truly).

So far I have published 5 books about the character and 1 novelette (The Sunken Castle).

The book series includes:

However I have also played Wrathgar in a number of Dungeons and Dragons campaigns during the past two decades, including a number of Adventurer's League games, as well as versions on DDO (Dungeons and Dragons Online) and Skyrim. I have played Wrathgar in every version of D&D except 4th and Basic.

Description of Wrathgar

Wrathgar is 6'2" tall with wide shoulders, bearded, with wavy black hair, and a darker complexion. Sporting a helmet with antlers, fur/hide armour, a longbow, a huge sword (called a Grosseklinge it is considered a sacred weapon amongst his people) and a bearded axe he is a physically imposing warrior, weighing approx. 220 lbs.

Despite his name, Wrathgar almost never loses his temper (no spoilers here). In D&D terms he sounds like he is a barbarian, and indeed was raised amongst a barbarian tribe (the Baarstammderstark) in the Snowfell Mountains of Korovia, but he is actually a ranger.

Wrathgar is friendly to most people, but in the early books he is naive and his personality changes gradually over time. His interests revolve around woodcraft, tracking, hunting and to a lesser extent herbalism and animals (notably dogs, wolves, horses, owls).

Note - Some of you may recall that I gained a Hero Forge Miniature of Wrathgar back in 2015 and painted it. Shown here on the right. I have used it in various D&D campaigns since then as Wrathgar's miniature.

Alignment of Wrathgar

Neutral Good: Wrathgar obeys the law, most of the time. He isn't reckless or untrustworthy, quite the opposite. His tendency is to be cautious and wise about his decisions, despite being naive in his younger years. Likewise Wrathgar is bound by his sense of good and ideals concerning heroism, having been raised by his father (Wulfric the Wanderer) with stories of far off adventures in strange lands, and also being raised by High Shaman Korflex (who was effectively Wrathgar's surrogate father after Wulfric departed in an attempt to find his missing wife/Wrathgar's mother).

Wrathgar has his own personal sense of honour and how people should behave, and as such he actively tries to avoid being rude to other people - unless he feels they deserve it. Likewise Wrathgar is capable of violence, but he doesn't actively seek it out. Rather he is a natural protector and leader, more concerned with safeguarding those around him than going off in search of revenge/etc.

1st Edition Vs 2nd Edition Wrathgar

The rules for 1st Edition and 2nd Edition are almost identical, but with a number of key differences that affect Wrathgar's abilities, hit points and skills. For example in 2nd Edition a system for choosing skills was introduced and Weapon Specialization was introduced for the Fighter class.

Thus below I will be presenting the 2nd Edition version of Wrathgar, but for anyone familiar with both it is very easy to convert 2E Wrathgar into 1E Wrathgar. Just drop the skills, adjust the hit points, and no dual-classed Fighter level so he has Weapon Specialization.

Levels vs Books

Obviously Wrathgar would be a different level depending upon what stage of his life he is in, or in book terms it varies upon what book you are reading. For narrative purposes Wrathgar "levels up" roughly once per book. However I am not going to go into great detail here with respect to hit points, level, magical items gained during his career, etc because that would possibly include spoilers for people reading the books

2nd Edition Version of Wrathgar

Wrathgar, Human Ranger, NG

Str 18/66, which notably includes a +2 to hit and +3 to damage.
Dex 12
Con 15, which notably includes +1 to his hit points per level.
Int 13
Wis 17, which notably includes a +3 vs Charms/mind magic/etc.
Chr 10
Cms 11*

* I decided to include his Comeliness stat for anyone curious about that. Comeliness is an optional stat that was popular in 1st Edition. 

Armour - During book one of the series Wrathgar starts with hide/fur armour, and a wooden shield. This changes gradually overtime. No spoilers!

Weapons - Grosseklinge Two-Handed Sword, Siegmut (Bearded Axe +1), Composite Longbow, Dagger. Again, Wrathgar's choice of weapons changes gradually overtime. After gaining Siegmut he starts using the axe more often and the Grosseklinge less.

Ranger Abilities - Ranger Tracking, Ranger Alertness vs Surprise, Favoured Enemy (Giants and Giant kin).

Skills - Bowyer/Fletcher, Read/Write, Hunting, Survival, Herbalism. (He doesn't necessarily start with all of these, but he definitely gains them all over time, plus others. No spoilers.)

Languages - Korovian (Common), Elvish (he speaks it with a Wood Elf accent), and two other languages learned later (no spoilers).

Notes

If I could make one important change to the above stats, it would be to have Wrathgar start off as a Fighter, take 2 levels of Fighter, have him Specialize in either Battleaxe or Longbow, and then dual class as a Ranger. So Ranger 20/Fighter 2. Since there is no specialization in the core rules for 1st Edition there is no need to do this, but if it was a 2nd Edition game then it would be worth it.

Note also that his Wisdom is also sufficient for him to dual class as a Cleric if he wanted to, which is relevant because I once played a 3rd Edition version of Wrathgar who had levels in Cleric. Likewise as a Ranger he does gain access to various spells at higher levels, but it is my feeling that those spells should feel like they are more extensions of his ranger skills that benefit his combat and stealth abilities.

3rd Edition Version of Wrathgar

The one and only time I played a 3rd Edition version of Wrathgar he ended up being partially a cleric, mostly because the group needed a healer. However if I was to redesign the character for 3rd Edition here's what I feel his stats would be:

Str 18
Dex 13
Con 15
Int 12
Wis 17
Chr 10

So as you can see I have copy/pasted the 1st/2nd Edition stats and swapped the Int and Dex scores because I feel that it makes more sense for his character to meet certain archery related prerequisites... and since 3rd Edition doesn't have Comeliness, that is just plain gone.

Another change I would make would be with respect to his class. In my opinion he should be a Ranger/Fighter. Or possibly even a Ranger/Fighter/Rogue. Or... Ranger/Fighter/Rogue/Barbarian. Or even a few levels of Cleric. Honestly, it is rather difficult to choose which direction to go in. Wrathgar (despite his name) almost never loses his temper. But being able to Rage like a barbarian once in a while would be useful. Likewise a level or two of rogue doesn't sound out of character for him. Thus for anyone recreating Wrathgar you could either go with a more vanilla version, or a more bizarre version with Rogue, Barbarian or Cleric levels mixed in.

But ultimately I think the combo that makes the most sense is Ranger 14/Fighter 6. I feel this is the most accurate to his character because I don't see Wrathgar as being a spellcaster type, although he certainly gains that at higher levels.

The big difference for 3rd Edition is the introduction of Feats, and you will see why I swapped the Int & Dex.

Feats

  • 1st level - Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot
  • 2nd level *F1* - Weapon Focus Longbow
  • 3rd level *F2* - Improved Unarmed Strike, Precise Shot
  • 5th level *F4* - Weapon Specialist Longbow
  • 6th level *F5* - Mounted Combat
  • 7th level *F6* - Mounted Archery
  • 9th level - Weapon Focus Axe
  • 12th level - Weapon Specialist Axe
  • 15th level - Leadership
  • 18th level - Far Shot

Skills - Animal Empathy, Craft (Bowyer/Fletcher), Craft (Herbalism Poisons/Poultices), Handle Animal, Hide, Move Silently, Ride, Swim, Use Rope, Wilderness Lore. (At lower levels he might only have a few ranks in certain skills.)

Magic - At higher levels Wrathgar would also gain spells, but as mentioned further above (and below) I see such spells as being merely an extension of his ranger skills in terms of stealth and combat. So try to pick spells that relate to those two things.

5th Edition Version of Wrathgar

When playing in Adventurers League I made a 5E version of Wrathgar, during which he took 2 levels of Rogue so he could be stealthier. This was ultimately a wise decision because in combination with his other abilities, certain magical items and Ranger stealth magic it made it possible for him to hide at will, often in plain sight, and made it almost impossible for other people to notice him without magical aid. (In some respects this ends up being akin to the DDO and Skyrim versions of Wrathgar who was also a stealth archer.)

Like the 3rd Edition version it makes a bit of sense that Wrathgar might also have a few levels of Fighter or Barbarian, but since my AL version had 2 levels of Rogue we will follow that instead.

Obviously that means Wrathgar was restricted to the base starting stats for Adventurers League, but since my goal here is to push the idea of Wrathgar's "official stats" I am instead going to ignore the AL stats and instead use the same stats from the 3rd Edition version of Wrathgar. (Plus it has been over 5 years since I played Wrathgar in AL so I cannot be bothered to find his character sheet. I think it is in the basement somewhere...)

Str 18
Dex 13
Con 15
Int 12
Wis 17
Chr 10

Also it should be noted that Wrathgar won't be getting the stat increases at various levels and will get 5E Feats instead. Likewise we will ignore the Variant Human Traits (5E PHB page 31) bonus to his ability scores. See the list of Wrathgar's Abilities further below.

Background

One of the big changes in 5E D&D is the introduction of different backgrounds. The following backgrounds all make sense for Wrathgar:

  • Acolyte (since he was briefly trained to possibly become a shaman);
  • Hermit (feels closer to his shamanic training plus comes with a Herbalism kit tool proficiency);
  • Outlander (because he grew up amongst barbarians and considers himself to be a barbarian).

Of these 3 Hermit makes the most sense, even though Wrathgar is obviously not a hermit. The skills match what he does. I see Wrathgar as being more of a hunter/woodsman, which is similar to a hermit.

Skills/Languages/Tools - Animal Handling, Athletics, Medicine, Nature, Religion, Stealth, Survival, Thieves Tools, Herbalism Tools, Common (Korovian), Elvish, 1 bonus language (no spoilers).

Abilities

Many of Wrathgar's abilities depend upon what level he is.

1 - Favoured Enemy (Giants), Natural Explorer (Forest), Feat (Sharpshooter).
2 - Fighting Style (Archery), Spellcasting*.

* I see Wrathgar's spellcasting ability as being more like "skills" rather than magic per se. Example: One of his spells is "Pass Without Trace", which allows him to move stealthily without leaving a trail. For story reasons I treat that as essentially being part of his stealth skill as opposed to an actual spell. Similarly the spell "Jump" is effectively just part of his ability to jump further than normal people, and Hunter's Mark representative of his archery skill.

3 - Ranger Archetype (Hunter / Colossus Slayer), Primeval Awareness.
4 - Feat (Heavily Armoured).
5 - Extra Attack.
6 (Rogue 1) - Expertise (Stealth and Athletics), Sneak Attack +1d6, Thieves' Cant.
7 (Rogue 2) - Cunning Action (usually used to Hide or Dash).
8 - Favoured Enemy (Undead), Natural Explorer (Mountain).
9 - Ranger Archetype (Hunter / Escape the Horde).
10 - Feat (Tavern Brawler), Land Stride.
11 - NA.
12 - Natural Explorer (Coast), Hide in Plain Sight.
13 - Ranger Archetype (Hunter / Volley).
14 - Feat (Skulker).
15 - NA.
16 - Favoured Enemy (Fiends), Vanish.
17 - Ranger Archetype (Hunter / Evasion).
18 - Feat (Lucky)
19 - NA.
20 - Feral Senses.
21 - Feat (Mounted Combatant)
22 - Foe Slayer.

Wrathgar's "Spells"

  1. Animal Friendship, Hunter's Mark, Jump, Longstrider
  2. Find Traps, Locate Animals or Plants, Pass Without Trace
  3. Protection from Energy, Speak with Plants, Water Breathing
  4. Freedom of Movement, Locate Creature, Stoneskin
  5. Swift Quiver

Magical Items + Notes

While playing AL Wrathgar gained a number of magical items, including a Cloak of Elvenkind, a magical axe, a flaming holy two-handed sword (Flametongue), a magical longbow, shield, armour, various potions... and a shrunken pet bear (about the size of a house cat) called "Blooddrinker", and a few other items. (Click the link on Blooddrinker to learn more.)

Since I am opposed to the idea of characters having too many magical items (and possible spoilers) I am not going to go into great detail regarding any magical items Wrathgar might gain eventually.

Things like his magical axe Siegmut and his obsidian snake dagger (which isn't magical) are well established in the books however.

But because the 5E version of Wrathgar is more focused on Stealth, I do feel that anyone remaking him in 5E should still have him gain the Cloak of Elvenkind eventually. So just the axe and cloak are essential.

For spoiler reasons I cannot go into detail regarding any objects he might gain over time. Siegmut isn't really so much a spoiler as he gains that very early in his career.

I remember when I played 3rd Edition Wrathgar had a LOT of magical items. Far too many in my opinion... One of the downsides of 3E in my opinion is that it is super easy to gain magical items... and consequently completely unrealistic. Plus it is very easy to make or buy magical items in 3E. This creates a level of "showering" of magical items. So much so that characters end up selling them, buying them, and developing unrealistic expectations that every large city must have a magic shop where you can buy +5 swords.

This is effectively a matter of storytelling and realism. If every problem can be conveniently solved with magic (as per deus ex machina) then there isn't any point in the character problem solving. It ruins the story if a character can just solve every problem using magic. The character becomes just another boring cog in the story as they're now effectively unnecessary to the story. Magic is now the "hero", while the character now lacks heroicism because every problem is too easily solved.

I did think about organizing everything in a large chart, but I opted not to because his stats are slightly different for the different editions so it would have made the chart more complicated, plus I would have been tempted to give his full stats at different levels... I feel that what I have provided here is more of the bare bones of what a player would need to replicate Wrathgar as a character if they want to play him in their own game.

Friends and Allies

Wrathgar gains many friends during the book series and as such they deserve a mention here. The characters he is surrounded by makes a deep impact upon him as a character. Some of these include:

  • High Shaman Korflex
  • Vertia (elf archer / giant owl rider)
  • Soljargon (necromancer)
  • Bizbald (gnome illusionist)
  • Wren/Arwen (Blizzard/cryomancer)
  • Sir Dobrynya (Bogatyr knight)
  • Costache (dwarf merchant-warrior)
  • Gyburn (elf archer)
  • Helene (half-elf cleric of Metrequia)
  • And others...
Some characters I don't want to talk about for spoiler reasons. I am doing my best here to inform possible players, but honestly if you really want all the details you will want to read the books.
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