You’ll see that a lot of the characters in my new Ptolus campaign use elements from Arcana Evolved and elsewhere — some are even player created. These elements are not standard for the Ptolus setting, which is a product designed for a more baseline d20 campaign. You’ll find, however, that the events of the journal reflect well the feel of Ptolus, even if the PCs do not in every case. (It does show, however, how easily one can work Arcana Evolved or other setting elements into an otherwise standard d20 campaign.)
Archinemus
Archinemus is a sibeccai, an extremely uncommon race in Ptolus (almost singular, in fact — you won’t find them in the upcoming Ptolus package). He’s a cleric/rogue, although the player, Bruce Cordell, and I modified the cleric class into a class that focuses entirely on business and influencing people the way a normal cleric focuses on religion. He influences humanoids rather than turning undead, for example. As the campaign advances, the group purchases a business, and Archinemus is at the heart of that endeavor.
Barbatos
Barbatos is a human wizard. He also is secretly the publisher of a scandalous broadsheet that prints half-truths and innuendos about the various noble families. Barbatos seems more willing to view things from the seemier side of the street than most of the other characters. He’s interested in history and the accumulation of personal power and has a weakness for the finer things in life, such as gourmet food. As of this writing, he has been punched in the face by his fellow party members five times. This number is likely to go up. He is played by Dungeon and Dragon magazine Editor-in-Chief Erik Mona.
Benris
Benris did not realize it until recently, but she is not human. Instead, she is a descendent of the Charad titans of old. While these giantish folk are long gone, she was left behind as an infant. Benris, a champion of freedom, is my wife (and Malhavoc editorial director) Sue’s character. She’s using a lot of options from Arcana Evolved that aren’t part of the standard Ptolus campaign setting. (Basically, she wanted to play a giant from Arcana Evolved even though there isn’t such a race in Ptolus today, so I made it work.) Benris belongs to the Delver’s Guild and is very interested in dungeon exploration and monster lore.
Calista
Calista is a human magister, a class from Arcana Evolved. Again, this is not a standard Ptolus option but, truth be told, I really wanted to put a human magister and a human wizard together to compare the two. Calista is the same Calista from the previous Ptolus Campaign Journal, who figured very prominently toward the end of that recounting. She was an NPC there, and she’s a PC here. She thus has had a strange and eventful background, of which most of the other PCs are unaware, at least at first. In many ways, her own goals and outlook don’t match the rest of the party’s, but the bonds of friendship are strong — and thus she gets pulled into things she doesn’t always want to be part of. Calista is played by Wizards of the Coast Senior Editor Michele Carter.
Charnoth
Charnoth is a litorian totem warrior (another Arcana Evolved class). Charnoth is a savage but noble warrior who came to the city with his brother, Tharn (also a PC) to find some litorians who had been kidnapped by slavers. He dislikes Ptolus and finds “city life” distasteful. He fears for his brother’s ready acceptance of city ways, which creates many conflicts between the two. Charnoth’s outlook is very black and white, which does not always serve one well in a city like Ptolus. Charnoth is played by Paizo Publisher Keith Strohm.
Diethan
Whether he recognizes it or not, Diethan is, in many ways, the heart of the group. He’s easygoing, up for almost anything, and loyal to every member of the group. Diethan is a human ranger (utilizing the cool urban ranger option from Wizards’ Unearthed Arcana). He knows a great many people in the city, both high placed and low. His sister lives among the nobility, as her great musical talents were recognized and rewarded by House Kath. Diethan is played by Wizards of the Coast RPG Design Manager Chris Perkins.
Tharn
Tharn, Charnoth’s brother, is a litorian unfettered (an Arcana Evolved class). Very much unlike his brother, Tharn loves Ptolus and the wonders it offers that are unavailable to him living as a tribesman on the plains. Tharn can be extremely headstrong and even foolhardy at times, but he is also noble and honest to a fault. He is suspicious of new people — a trait that makes his adaptation to city life more difficult but perhaps in general a bit safer. He attempts to use his keen sense of smell to discern the trustworthy from the not. This rarely works, but Tharn remains undaunted. Tharn is played by Wizards of the Coast RPG Development Manager Jesse Decker.
