All through January, tabletop RPG fans across social media are taking part in a 31-day character creation challenge. It was my intention to also take part, but I’ve already fallen woefully behind. I still am determined to participate to some extent, however, and so I thought it might be fun to do the challenge in my articles for the rest of the month. Thus begins a new series of articles I’m called The PC Factory. Each week, I’ll use a different system to write a backstory, and provide character sheets for each so that anyone interested can try playing as them.
This week, I’ll be using D&D 5e for the challenge.
Yender Tenpenny
Yender Tenpenny is a Level 1, Lightfoot Halfling Bard. Born to a devout family, Yender grew up worshipping Yondala, the matriarch of the halfling pantheon. He had a sensitive but passionate soul, and family and friends alike found his enthusiasm for life infectious. His personality was at odds with the bland and austere rituals of Yondalla, and he began to have a crisis of faith which put a strain on his relationship with his parents. This came to a head when, after another long and serious argument, Yender left home; he moved in with his uncle, a famous adventurer who was more open-minded than his parents. It would turn out to be a good arrangement for both of them, as Yender could watch the house whenever his uncle went on a prolonged journey.
On his uncle’s return from one of his storied adventures, he brought with him a gift for his nephew: a lute he had found during the course of his travels. It quickly became apparent that Yender had a knack for the instrument. The young halfling’s newfound love for music quickly became an obsession. Over the next few years, he wrote and performed numerous ballads, gaining some notoriety playing at local inns and taverns, as well as winning some musical competitions. His music had reawoken a sense of joy and connection to the world around him that he hadn’t felt since he was a young child.
Taking this as a sign, Yender was inspired to join the Church of Milil and became a devoted acolyte and Sorlyn of the bardic god. He took to traveling the countryside, sharing his rediscovered joy for life through music and song. Unfortunately, tips for his performances weren’t nearly enough to provide him with a stable living, and so he followed in his dear uncle’s footsteps and became a troubadour who quested with adventuring parties across the land. He proved to be an invaluable source of inspiration and encouragement to his fellows, and through his adventures has managed to make a decent life for himself.
Character Sheet
You can download the character sheet for Yender Tenpenny here.
YenderTenpennyDo you have thoughts or questions about the article or suggestions for future content? Leave a comment below or drop me a line at jtdimino@d20radio.com.
J.T. Dimino
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