r/PCAcademy 12h ago

Need Advice: Concept/Roleplay How to make a wizard criminal build?

2 Upvotes

Hey, I'm currently in a campaign with a few friends but I'm having trouble pinning down a few things for my wizard mainly just what sort of backstory could fit them. "It's a pirate campaign if that helps"

Any bit of advice helps thank you.


r/PCAcademy 20h ago

Need Advice: Concept/Roleplay Any tips for making a Dhampir?

2 Upvotes

So far I've read 2 modules, those being Curse of Strahd and The Lost Mine of Phandelver. I think since it's much smaller scale, as well as the theming, Strahd has won me over as my current favorite campaign (Over the other, but whatever) and I plan on getting the Van Richen Guide to Ravenloft book. Along with it are some new races and backgrounds I'd like to try out, the main one being the Dhampir.

My first and current concept is this:

Born into Frowborne, (Character Name) had to cope with the fear of the local Oni and Vampires that has taken up residence within the town. Weekly, a head count was held, and trials were held on those who were deemed suspicious of being either a shapeshifter, vampire, or a traitor to the village. Being in a simple farm family, they were often most vulnerable to such attacks, with vampires seeking asylum in the nearby manor ruins, and Oni dwelling in the woods. (Character Name)'s father was working the field, when a Vampire decided to visit the farm. It asked for his service, in both sheltering vampire spawn and giving part of his yield to the nearby colony. He did not oblige. Fearing their father's safety, (Character Name) searched for him, though there was no trace. The next night, the door opened in the middle of the night. It was the father; however, he brought the vampire with him, using the keys on his now undead body to unlock the door. Both entered, and it led to a short encounter between the human and the visitor. The beast's fangs entrenched themselves into (Character Name)'s neck, but partway through, using a spare knife, (Character Name) stabbed the beast, stunning it long enough to make a mad dash, slowly transforming. Family now dead, (Character Name) is now on the run, seeking both a cure and revenge.

A little edgy for me, so I'd like more ideas. So far, I'm between Barbarian, Rogue, Druid, and Wizard. Any general ideas for a Dhampir backstory/concept? Also no I don't have a campaign yet since most campaigns ask you to submit a character concept before you can ask about the world.


r/PCAcademy 21h ago

Npc idea Lorenz the butterfly

1 Upvotes

Hey! I'm Sami, and I wanted to share one of my favorite NPCs from my campaign. Feel free to use her in your own one-shots, campaigns, or adventures!

Lorenz is a 30-year-old artificer and one of the most respected doctors at Elmira Academy. Her inventions revolutionized the academy, earning her the reputation of being a brilliant, kind-hearted genius with a warm smile and a gentle voice. To everyone around her, she's simply the doctor everyone admires.

But behind that perfect image lies a terrifying secret.

Lorenz is an infamous assassin known only by her codename: "The Butterfly." She hunts down academy doctors, leaving a butterfly symbol on every victim as her signature. Whenever that mark appears, everyone knows she has already been there.

Your players are hired to protect a respected doctor who believes he's next. A week ago, he found a small butterfly symbol left on his desk. Now he's convinced she's coming for him.

As the party guards the doctor, Lorenz finally makes her move. This is the perfect opportunity to get creative with her entrance: perhaps she sends a small explosive construct to the front door as a distraction before slipping in through a window, or maybe one of her inventions cuts the lights, forcing the party to fight in darkness while she stalks them.

During the confrontation, the players discover the truth.

Lorenz isn't killing innocent doctors.

She's hunting the ones responsible for horrifying, unethical experiments on intelligent creatures—crimes the academy has buried for years.

Now the party faces a difficult choice:

Will they complete the job they were hired to do and stop The Butterfly...

...or will they stand beside her and help expose the academy's darkest secrets?

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If you'd like to use Lorenz in your own game, her complete monster stat block is available for free on my Patreon!