Grunt Alright, listen up, I’ve got a story for you. Not your usual fairy tale, mind you, but a tale from one of my adventures. This one’s about a chap named Jesee. A peculiar name for a peculiar fellow.
Jesee wasn’t your typical hero. No shining armor or gallant steed. This lad was more a bundle of cloth and mystery. Standing about as tall as a half-sized barrel, with a mop of unruly hair that looked like it’d been in a tussle with a storm. His eyes, though, they were sharp as a hawk’s, always gleaming with some hidden mischief.
We met in the most unceremonious way – in a dingy tavern, of course. I was nursing a pint, grumbling about the incompetence of so-called heroes these days. Then this Jesee strolls in, bold as brass, plonks himself down and orders a drink like he owned the place. Pfft, the nerve!
What made Jesee stick in my memory wasn’t his stature or that he was overly strong. It was his wit. By the gods, that lad could talk his way out of a dragon’s maw! A tongue sharper than a goblin’s spear. And a knack for getting into – and out of – trouble.
Our adventure began as most do, with a quest. Some nonsense about a cursed gem in the ruins of an ancient kingdom. Sounded like a load of hogwash, but the coin was good. Jesee, with a glint in his eye, was all in. Said he had a ‘feeling’ about it. Bah, feelings.
The journey was a hodgepodge of misfits – a brawny warrior who couldn’t swing a sword without tripping over his feet, a mage who spent more time reading than casting, and then there was Heebo, with his bag of tricks and endless chatter.
Our trek to the ruins was nothing short of a calamity. Bandits, traps, and the occasional wild beast. But Heebo, damn his hide, had a solution for every problem. I’d never seen someone negotiate with bandits over tea, or disarm a trap with a piece of string and a grin.
The ruins were a sight, half-swallowed by the earth, with vines like ancient serpents. Inside, it was a labyrinth of shadows and whispers. Every step felt like walking into a spider’s web. Heebo, though, he was in his element, darting about like a shadow.
We found the gem, glowing like a piece of the night sky. But, of course, it wasn’t that simple. The moment the warrior touched it, the room lit up with an eerie light, and the walls started to move. A trap! The room was collapsing!
In the ensuing chaos, it was Jesee who kept his head. While the rest of us were losing our minds, he was already working on an escape. The lad might have been small, but his courage was the size of a mountain.
As we raced through the crumbling corridors, something else stirred. A sound, deep and ancient, echoed through the ruins. We weren’t alone. Something had awoken.
And there, in the flickering torchlight, we saw it. A creature of nightmares, its eyes burning like coals. We were trapped, the beast between us and our only way out. Jesee stepped forward, a wild plan forming in his eyes…
To be continued…
Jesee (5e)
- Class & Level: Rogue, Level 3 (for a sense of early development)
- Race: Halfling (Lightfoot, for the Charisma bonus)
- Background: Charlatan (fits his witty and tricky nature)
Ability Scores (using Point Buy or Standard Array):
- Strength: 8 (-1)
- Dexterity: 15 (+2)
- Constitution: 12 (+1)
- Intelligence: 13 (+1)
- Wisdom: 10 (0)
- Charisma: 14 (+2)
Skills:
- Acrobatics (Dex)
- Deception (Cha)
- Perception (Wis)
- Persuasion (Cha)
- Sleight of Hand (Dex)
- Stealth (Dex)
Features:
- Halfling Nimbleness
- Naturally Stealthy (Lightfoot Halfling)
- Sneak Attack (2d6)
- Cunning Action
- Thieves’ Cant
Equipment:
- Shortsword
- Shortbow and Arrows
- Thieves’ Tools
- Disguise Kit
Jesee (SWADE)
- Race: Halfling (use similar traits from a fantasy companion or custom race rules)
- Background: Charlatan/Thief
Attributes:
- Agility: d8
- Smarts: d6
- Spirit: d6
- Strength: d4
- Vigor: d6
Skills:
- Stealth (Agility): d8
- Notice (Smarts): d6
- Persuasion (Spirit): d6
- Thievery (Agility): d8
- Fighting (Agility): d6
- Shooting (Agility): d6
Hindrances:
- Small (Major): Smaller than average, penalty to Toughness
- Curious (Minor): Always looking for a mystery or a secret
- Overconfident (Minor): Tends to overestimate his abilities
Edges:
- Acrobat: Bonus to Agility rolls and acrobatic maneuvers
- Thief: Bonus to Thievery, Stealth, and Climbing rolls in urban environments
- Quick: Redraw initiative cards of 5 or lower
Gear:
- Short Sword
- Short Bow with Arrows
- Thieves’ Tools
- Disguise Kit