Line #267 Characters/DescentJourneysInTheDark


1	The characters in ''TabletopGame/DescentJourneysInTheDark''.
2
3	!Heroes
4
5	->'''''Note''': Although the players are free to mix and match individual heroes and their classes freely within the appropriate Archetype, most heroes' background descriptions make it clear which class they "canonically" belong to. For simplicity's sake, tropes concerning specific class abilities will be described in the corresponding hero's section.''
6
7	[[foldercontrol]]
8
9	[[folder:Warriors]]
10
11	!!Grisban the Thirsty
12	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)\
13	'''"Canonical" class''': Berserker
14
15	A dwarf berserker known for his thirst of blood in battle.
16
17	* TheAlcoholic: Grisban loves his beer. In fact, his moniker is (among other things) an abbreviation of "the Beer-thirsty".
18	* TheBerserker: In battle, Grisban flies into a terrifying rage.
19	* BloodKnight: The ''other'' reading of his moniker is "the Bloodthirsty".
20	* CounterAttack: When a Berserker is attacked in melee, they can immediately retaliate out of turn at the cost one stamina.
21	* DarkAndTroubledPast: There are hints that there is a dark secret to why he left home to become a mercenary.
22	* DashAttack: The Charge ability lets a Berserker move up to their speed and attack as a single action.
23	* ExtraTurn: As his Heroic Feat, Grisban can carry out an extra attack in addition to the two regular actions on his turn.
24	* ForceAndFinesse: The Force to Syndrael's Finesse.
25	* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Even his hero card lampshades the fact that his backstory is basically "Fantasy Dwarf 101".
26	* SpinAttack: The Whirlwind ability lets a Berserker attack all adjacent enemies at once.
27
28	!!Syndrael
29	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)\
30	'''"Canonical" class''': Knight
31
32	An exiled elf knight.
33
34	* ClearTheirName: Seeks to refute the accusations levied against her liege, which she believes to be false.
35	* DashAttack: The Advance ability lets a Knight move up to their speed and attack again after slaying a monster.
36	* TheExile: After her liege, Lady Tyviel, was accused of treason, Syndrael refused to believe the accusers and went into exile with her.
37	* ExtraTurn: As her Heroic Feat, Syndrael gets an extra move action ''and'' grants one to an ally of her choice (out of turn).
38	* ForceAndFinesse: The Finesse to Grisban's Force.
39	* LadyOfWar: A graceful elven woman who fights with a sword and a shield.
40	* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: A Knight starts the game with a wooden shield that gives them an extra shield point once per turn. The Defense Training ability lets them enhance the benefits of a shield even further.
41	* LuckManipulationMechanic: A Knight's starting sword lets them force the enemy to reroll one of their defense dice.
42	* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: An immortal elf, Syndrael looks young to a human eye but is actually well over a hundred years old.
43	* ShieldBash: A Knight's ability of the same name lets them stun enemies with their shield as part of an attack.
44	* TakingTheBullet: The Defend ability lets a Knight redirect an attack from an adjacent hero to themselves.
45	* UndyingLoyalty: Fiercely loyal to her liege.
46
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Scouts]]
50
51	!!Tomble Burrowell
52	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)\
53	'''"Canonical" class''': Thief
54
55	A risk-taking gnome thief.
56
57	* BackStab: The Sneaky ability increases the damage a Thief does to enemies who didn't have a line of sight to them at the start of the Thief's turn.
58	* CombatPragmatist: A Thief has several abilities that non-magically debuff the attacking enemies.
59	* DeviousDaggers: He's a standard RPG thief, whose preferred weapon is a dagger.
60	* DiscardAndDraw: After drawing a search (treasure) card, a Thief with the Appraisal ability can discard it and draw another one.
61	* ExtraTurn: The Bushwhack ability lets a Thief attack the only monster in their line of sight as a free action, effectively giving them an extra attack.
62	* JackOfAllTrades: In-story, Tomble is described as a man of many talents.
63	* LastOfHisKind: Tomble's clan has been recently wiped out by beastmen.
64	* LovableRogue: Tomble is one charismatic thief.
65	* LuckManipulationMechanic: The starter gear trinket Lucky Charm lets a Thief reroll one attribute check per turn.
66	* OlderThanTheyLook: Gnomes are long-lived, so Tomble is actually much older than most people assume.
67	* WanderingMinstrel: Described as such by his character card.
68
69	!!Jain Fairwood
70	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)\
71	'''"Canonical" class''': Wildlander
72
73	A wildlander who had been deemed a traitor by Terrinoth.
74	----
75	* KnightInSourArmor: She is still bitter about being unfairly branded a deserter but keeps saving lives of the very people who misjudged her.
76	* ForestRanger: Jain retreated to the forests after being shunned by the human society.
77	* LuckManipulationMechanic: The Accurate ability lets a Wildlander reroll one power die when attacking with a bow.
78	* SoleSurvivor: After the Dragon Wars, she was the only member of Sir Garrick's company who survived the Uthuk ambush.
79
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder:Healers]]
83
84	!!Avric Albright
85	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)\
86	'''"Canonical" class''': Disciple
87
88	A former soldier who became a war cleric to help those around him.
89
90	* AreaOfEffect: The Radiant Light heals all allies and and harms all enemies within line of sight of the Disciple at once.
91	* ChronicHeroSyndrome: The main reason why Avric hasn't joined some order yet is that TheCall keeps diverting him from doing so.
92	* CombatMedic: Avric's special power restores hit points to allies around him and lets them convert surges from their own attacks to hit points. The Disciple class also has the Blessed Strike ability that converts their surges into healing for a nearby ally.
93	* HealingHands: The ability Prayer of Healing lets a Disciple heal an adjacent hero as a free action once per turn.
94	* ReligiousBruiser: Avric ''wanted'' to become BadassPreacher but never got a chance to join an order because he is too busy kicking evil's ass.
95	* StatusBuff: The Divine Fury ability buffs an ally healed by the Disciple to do more damage on their next attack, while the Armor of Faith gives them an extra defense die.
96
97	!!Ashrian
98	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)\
99	'''"Canonical" class''': Spiritspeaker
100
101	An elvish shaman from the Whispering Forest.
102
103	* AreaOfEffect: The Tempest ability of a Spiritspeaker harms all monsters in the vicinity and, at the same time, heals all allies.
104	* CombatMedic: The Drain Spirit ability lets a Spiritspeaker heal all heroes in the vicinity as a side effect of damaging enemies, while Vigor lets them convert their surges into healing for the entire party.
105	* CunningLinguist: Speaks well over a dozen languages fluently.
106	* TheDrifter: This is implied to be Ashrian's ''modus operandi'': she arrives to a new land, learns the language, fights evil, then eventually moves on to parts unknown.
107	* MysteriousPast: No one quite knows where she came from and she is definitely not telling.
108	* NatureHero: She hangs out in forests, communing with spirits and mixing herbs. Most Spiritspeaker class abilities are also nature-themed.
109
110	!!Serena
111	->'''First appearance''': ''Labyrinth of Ruin''
112
113	A peaceful Sudanyan priestess first introduced as an Ally in the ''Labyrinth of Ruin'' expansion.
114
115	* BreakoutCharacter: Introduced as an Ally but became so popular, she was promoted to playable hero.
116	* CuteMute: She is not actually mute, but she talks so little, she could just as well be. Her official sobriquet is "Silent Protector".
117	* EvilCostumeSwitch: If corrupted, she switches from mostly light blue clothes to black and red. Interestingly, her villainous costume is actually [[SensibleHeroesSkimpyVillains less skimpy than the heroic one]] and contains more armoring (though it still reveals a lot of skin).
118	* HeelFaceTurn: Under certain conditions in the ''Labyrinth of Ruin'' campaign, the Overlord can corrupt her into a Lieutenant.
119	* IdealIllnessImmunity: As a Lieutenant, she is immune to disease (and curses).
120	* PromotedToPlayable: With the Serena Lieutenant Pack, she can be played as a hero in all campaigns except ''Labyrinth of Ruin''.
121	* RedemptionDemotion: As a Lieutenant, Serena has slightly better overall stats than her heroic version.
122	* WalkingWasteland: As a Lieutenant, Serena can spread curses and disease with her attacks.
123	* WhiteMage: As a hero, Serena specializes in healing and buffing her allies, but is less effective in direct combat because of her weak defenses.
124
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:Mages]]
128
129	!!Leoric of the Book
130	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)\
131	'''"Canonical" class''': Runemaster
132
133	A scholarly wizard seeking long-forgotten knowledge.
134
135	* AreaOfEffect: The Runemaster ability Exploding Rune lets them convert an attack with a Rune weapons into a Blast, hitting all squares adjacent to the target (and the Inscribe Rune ability lets them treat ''all'' weapons as Runic). Also, Break the Rune damages all creatures (even allies!) within the line of sight.
136	* BadassBookworm: Was a professor at the University of Greyhaven before falling out with the management and getting sent on an indefinite sabbatical.
137	* CoolOldGuy: While not the oldest hero, he is physically venerable--and yet more than capable of pulling his weight in the party.
138	* MagicKnight: The Runemaster is the only class who can combine heavy armor with Rune weapons and Leoric's special hero ability in particular makes him suited to fight if not in the front row, then at least in the second one.
139	* TheProfessor: His sobriquet is a consequence of his tendency to quote his books in the heat of battle.
140	* SpinAttack: His Heroic Feat lets him hit every enemy within three squares with a magical weapon.
141
142	!!Widow Tarha
143	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)\
144	'''"Canonical" class''': Necromancer
145
146	An orc necromancer who practices the dark arts.
147
148	* AnimateDead: The Necromancer's starting ability lets them summon a skeleton familiar named Reanimate (see below). Also, Dying Command lets them immediately raise the monster they or Reanimate just killed to make them move and attack another monster once.
149	* CrusadingWidow: Her husband was killed by soldiers who didn't bother to check whether the orcs in question were law-abiding citizens.
150	* DarkIsNotEvil: Tarha uses dark necromantic powers to fight oppressors of the common folk.
151	* LuckManipulationMechanic: Tarha's special ability lets her reroll one attack die per round.
152	* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: A scholarly freedom fighter from a race commonly seen as savage invaders.
153	* NightOfTheLivingMooks: The Necromancer's Army of Death ability invokes this, being an attack that uses the Reanimate's stats but targets all enemies within the Necromancer's line of sight.
154
155	[[/folder]]
156
157	[[folder:Familiars]]
158
159	!!Reanimate
160	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
161
162	The Necromancer class' familiar, who can be summoned with the Necromancer's starting ability and is treated as a figure.
163
164	* ButtMonkey: The Corpse Blast ability lets the Necromancer sacrifice the Reanimate to damage all enemies around it. Since it is a cheap ability and the Reanimate can be summoned right back again, this tends to happen to it a lot.
165	* DemBones: Essentially a walking, armored skeleton.
166	* ExtraTurn: The Fury of Undeath attribute lets the Necromancer convert one of their actions into a full extra turn for the Reanimate (on top of their regular activation).
167	* SharedLifeMeter: With the Dark Pact ability, the Necromancer can redirect damage they take to the Reanimate and vice versa.
168
169	[[/folder]]
170
171	!Villains
172
173	[[foldercontrol]]
174
175	[[folder:The Overlord]]
176
177	!!The Overlord
178	The main villain of game who is never seen in person--at least, in the normal and Epic play; individual campaigns can equate him with one of the Lieutenants.
179
180	* EvilOverlord: The Overlord player is the main villain of the story.
181	* TheGhost: The heroes keep hearing about the Overlord from his minions but never quite encounter him in person.
182	* NonEntityGeneral: Despite commanding vast armies of minions, the Overlord has no personal presence on the battlefield.
183	* GameMaster: Downplayed. The Overlord player controls all the monsters and traps in the dungeon but still obeys the rules just like the hero players and unlike a traditional RPG GM who [[RuleZero can change any setting detail on the fly]].
184
185	[[/folder]]
186
187	[[folder:Lieutenants]]
188
189	!!Splig
190	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
191
192	The incumbent goblin king by the virtue of being the biggest goblin around.
193
194	* AdiposeRex: Technically, he is the king by the "virtue" of being the ''fattest'' goblin around.
195	* DirtyCoward: Whenever Splig is attacked, he rolls dice to redirect the attack to another monster next to him.
196	* FieldPromotion: Can upgrade a nearby minion to a master monster as an action (but only in Act II).
197	* {{Knockback}}: Can use a surge to propel a hero three squares away from it with NoSavingThrow.
198	* LargeAndInCharge: Goblin society functions this way: the largest goblin is the king.
199
200	!!Alric Farrow
201	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
202
203	Lord Merick's brother, Alric was killed fighting for his ideals but brought back by dark magics of the Overlord.
204
205	* BlackKnight: An evil knight in the service of the Overlord.
206	* FallenHero: In more ways than one: Alric actually ''did'' die a hero ''and'' saw himself become a villain.
207	* MightyGlacier: Alric hits like a truck and has a ton of HP, but cannot move quickly even when his unlife depends on it.
208	* RegeneratingHealth: In Act II, Alric heals a small amount every round.
209	* RevenantZombie: A fallen hero brought back from the dead with dark magic to serve the Overlord.
210	* TinTyrant: Wears a full set of very menacing plate armor.
211
212	!!Merick Farrow
213	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
214
215	Once an upstanding lord, Merick delved into dark arts, seeking to resurrect his dead bother, Alric, and was corrupted by the Overlord.
216
217	* TheDarkSide: Went from dabbling in the dark arts to counting among the scariest servants of the Overlord.
218	* {{Necromancer}}: Learned necromancy to resurrect Alric.
219	* PlayingWithFire: Can attack all creatures around him with a burst of flame.
220	* SeeksAnothersResurrection: His StartOfDarkness was when he decided to resurrect Alric.
221	* UnholyMatrimony: With Eliza.
222
223	!!Eliza Farrow
224	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
225
226	Merick's beautiful wife and secretly a vampire.
227
228	* DragonAscendant: Eliza is one of the Lieutenants in the ''Shadow Rune'' campaign but becomes the Overlord in ''Heirs of Blood''.
229	* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Eliza's Seduce ability works equally well on male and female heroes.
230	* HorrorHunger: Like all vampires, Eliza is driven by her hunger for blood.
231	* LifeDrain: Her special abilities let her drain others' hit points to restore her own.
232	* TheVamp: Can use seduction to manipulate the heroes.
233	* OurBansheesAreLouder: Although she is a vampire, she has the banshee-like Wail ability.
234	* UnholyMatrimony: With Merick.
235	* VampiresAreSexGods: The only villain the game to weaponize her sexuality is a vampire.
236	* WickedCultured: A dignified and solf-spoken lady who is also an evil vampire sorceress.
237
238	!!Belthir
239	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
240
241	A half-dragon mercenary currently serving the Overlord.
242
243	* DraconicHumanoid: Has a generally humanoid body, but with dragon head, wings, and tail.
244	* GracefulLoser: When the heroes manage to defeat him, he acknowledges having underestimated them and courteously bows out.
245	* HalfHumanHybrid: Half-dragons are rare, but he's been around since the Dragon Wars.
246	* NobleDemon: In his first encounter with the heroes, he explains that really has no quarrel with them and attempts to prevent them from interfering non-lethally. After that, he is more annoyed than angered by their involvement.
247	* PoisonousPerson: Can use surges to poison the heroes.
248	* SinisterScythe: As if he weren't scary enough, he wields a scythe as his favored weapon.
249	* WingedHumanoid: His wings actually let him fly--i.e. ignore obstacles and enemy figures while moving.
250
251	!!Baron Zachareth
252	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
253
254	The ruler of the Carthridge barony.
255
256	* BeardOfEvil: He has a goatee and a DastardlyWhiplash--how would someone ''not'' immediately recognize him as a villain is anyone's guess.
257	* BigBad: Of ''The Shadow Rune'' campaign.
258	* CompellingVoice: Zachareth can order any hero to move two squares as an action.
259	* InterfaceSpoiler: That he has a Lieutenant marker kinda gives away the fact that he is a major villain long before it's revealed in-story.
260	* NarratorAllAlong: In ''The Shadow Rune'' campaign's Intermezzo, he is revealed to have been the Overlord the entire time.
261
262	[[/folder]]
263
264	[[folder:Monsters]]
265
266	!!Goblin Archer
267	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
268
269	* DirtyCoward: Goblins are so cowardly, they can't even use surges unless there is a master monster or Lieutenant within three squares to muster them.
270	* FragileSpeedster: Goblins have very low health but a lot of moves and can even pass through fields occupied by the heroes.
271	* TheGoomba: The minion version is the weakest of all enemies in the base game.
272	* OurGoblinsAreDifferent: Goblins in ''Descent'' are small yet mean creatures who prefer to gang up on their enemies.
273
274	!!Zombie
275	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
276
277	* GrappleMove: The master version's SpecialAttack is to grab onto a nearby hero, immobilizing them for the next turn.
278	* MightyGlacier: Zombies have a lot of HP (especially the master version) for a starting enemy, but can only take one move action per turn.
279	* OurZombiesAreDifferent: Zombies in ''Descent'' are either necromantic minions, or byproducts of dark magic. They are slow-moving and spread diseases.
280	* {{Plaguemaster}}: Anyone attacked by a zombie risks contracting disease.
281
282	!!Cave Spider
283	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
284
285	* GiantSpider: About the size and weight of a hero, actually.
286	* PoisonousPerson: Spread poison with their attacks--fittingly for a spider.
287	* YouWillNotEvadeMe: Downplayed. Moving away from a master spider takes one Fatigue due to its webs.
288
289	!!Barghest
290	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
291
292	* ImplacableMan: According to the lore, barghests never give up on pursuing their quarry.
293	* MakeMeWannaShout: Kinda. Their howl gives one Fatigue to every hero within three squares.
294	* RaisingTheSteaks: Essentially undead dogs or wolves.
295
296	!!Ettin
297	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
298
299	* DamageSpongeBoss: Mauler, the [[NominalImportance named]] ettin fought in the "First Blood" scenario, has two HP more than the standard ettin but killing him doesn't require advanced tactics.
300	* DegradedBoss: The first ettin you fight in ''The Shadow Rune'' campaign is Mauler, the boss of the "First Blood" scenario, but after that, ettins become regular enemies like everyone else.
301	* GiantMook: The minion ettin has no special abilities except its giant size (four fields) and reach.
302	* GrappleMove: The master ettin can pick up a hero and hurl them three fields in any direction.
303	* MultipleHeadCase: Ettins are two-headed giants whose heads can never agree on anything.
304	* OurGiantsAreBigger: The term "ettin" is a cognate of the Old Norse [[Myth/NorseMythology Jötunn]], so ettins in this game are appropriately twice as big as humans and have extra long weapon reach to show for it.
305
306	!!Flesh Moulder
307	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
308
309	* CombatMedic: The master version can heal allied monsters within three fields.
310	* LovecraftianSuperpower: Flesh Moulders research the human body and how to better use it but the results are... not pretty.
311	* HealThyself: Can use surges to restore hit points.
312
313	!!Elemental
314	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
315
316	* AreaOfEffect: Most of the elemental's powers attack everyone around it.
317	* ElementalPowers: The elementals in ''Descent'' are comprised of all ''four'' elements at once and are therefore explosively dangerous.
318	* PlayingWithFire: The Fire attack deals damage to all adjacent creatures--both heroes ''and'' monsters.
319
320	!!Merriod
321	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
322
323	* AngelsDevilsAndSquid: So ''Descent'' has goblins, zombies, giants, dragons... and this ''thing'': a giant walking fish with extra mouth-stalks on its head. Seriously?
324	* {{Kaiju}}: It's not quite as big, but how else would you describe a humanoid with a fish tail, spiked spine, giant mouth, and a pair of head tentacles with more mouths on them?
325	* TooManyMouths: In addition to its main mouth, the merriod has a LampreyMouth on each of its head "tentacles". Oh, and it can attack two heroes independently with them.
326
327	!!Shadow Dragon
328	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
329
330	* BreathWeapon: The master dragon can use a surge to supplement a regular attack with a breath of fire that hits four fields in a straight line.
331	* CastingAShadow: These dragons learned to control shadows and cannot even be hurt in melee unless the hero takes Fatigue.
332	* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Most dragons in ''Descent'' were apparently killed during the Dragon Wars, but some survived by using shadow magic to hide away. The Shadow Dragons are these survivors.
333
334	[[/folder]]
335
336	!Non-player characters
337
338	[[folder:Miscellaneous]]
339
340	!!Baron Greigory
341	The ruler of the barony of Rhynn in Terrinoth.
342
343	* BigGood: Of ''The Shadow Rune'' campaign.
344	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He immediately connects the facts that a man murdered on the outskirts of Arhynn was a former Shadow Binder and sends the heroes to check up on the rest of the group--which potentially saves their lives.
345
346	!!Shadow Binders
347	->'''First appearance''': Second Edition (base game)
348
349	A RagtagBunchOfMisfits who ended the Dragon Wars three dozen years ago by [[SealedEvilInACan sealing away]] the mightiest of dragons, Gryvorn.
350
351	* PlayerParty: Five adventurers who stopped evil decades ago and can be seen as the precursors to the new party of heroes.
352	* PuttingTheBandBackTogether: Subverted. Even though Frederick is eager to get back into action (should the heroes save him), other ex-Shadow Binders are much less so, and Pellin is dead, either way.
353	* RetiredBadass [[BadassInDistress in Distress]]: When the new heroes meet most of them in ''The Shadow Rune'' campaign, they have long settled down and have to be saved from the Overlord's minions now coming after them.
354	* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: Weirdly, Act I of ''The Shadow Rune'' campaign serves as this for them, even though we don't actually get to see their "main" story: Viceroy Pellin was [[PlotlineDeath killed by Mauler]], Frederick went back to his farm, Koth rose through the church ranks to become a Cardinal, while both Palamon and Theodir became respected lords.
355
356	[[/folder]]

Context Characters / DescentJourneysInTheDark