“The funny thing about pregens is that they will be used by new players but critiqued by veterans ...” Sean Molley, Global Administrator (soccerref73). When discussing the creation of pre-generated PCs for the campaign, my fellow global administrators and I set out to fulfil what we believed was the primary function of a pregen; an archetypical character a new player can pick up and enjoy. This not only means the pregen must be reasonably easy to understand and use but also that new players should be able to easily grasp the character of the, uh, character. So, while a veteran player might think they could squeeze a little more power out of a pregen if it had item X or power Y, or that a half-elf revenant paladin of Kelemvor would be a better role-playing choice – for new players we wanted to keep it classic, iconic...simple. And, as the esteemed Mr Molley said, pregens aren’t for veteran players, are they? So what we did was create four characters we consider archetypical for the Forgotten Realms setting. These PCs perform their role well from a mechanical standpoint, but also have enough personality that a new player can breathe life into them without having to sit down and sketch out a back story beforehand. The four pregens will be available for download from the new LFR website that is set to go live shortly. To facilitate the introduction of new players into higher-level adventures, each contains level one, five, eight and 11 variants. So, without further ado, meet your new Living Forgotten Realms pregens (drumroll please): Dunstan Ironforge, Dwarven Knight Hailing from the isolated stronghold of Citadel Adbar in the north-west, Dunstan is a fierce defender of dwarven traditions, sometimes to his detriment. Sent from the Citadel to learn the ways of other races, Dunstan, armed with his mighty warhammer and shield, has embraced the nomadic life of an adventurer. So much so that maybe he’ll never stop wandering. Liana Sunstar, Moon Elf (Eladrin) Enchanter Aloof and calculating, Liana spent her formative years learning the Art from the legendary high mages of Myth Drannor. Life changed for the introverted eladrin when chosen to accompany Princess Eldara from Myth Drannor on a diplomatic mission to the town of Eveningstar. Her fey charms proved devastatingly potent on other races and so Liana travels the wider world, enthralling all in her wake. Owen Redgate, Human Warpriest of Amanuator A third-generation priest of Amanuator, Owen grew up basking in the warm glow of the Companion, the miraculous second sun above Elturel. After his parents died in the plaguelands south of the city, Owen bore the burden of their loss heavily, believing he could’ve made a difference in the battle. Now, he devotes every waking moment to the Keeper of the Yellow Sun and bringing light to the darkest places of the Realms. Juno Thornbriar, Halfling Thief Orphaned from a young age on the mean streets of Downshadow, the seedy underbelly of Waterdeep, Juno survived against the odds through wit and catlike reflexes. Ethics play no part in that bleak underworld and so it was that the young halfling begged and stole her way out of poverty. Armed with her trusty daggers, she plans to leave that life well behind...and amass a fortune so large it would make an elder dragon blush. As previously mentioned, Dunstan, Liana, Owen and Juno will soon be available for download from the new LFR website. At this time, there are no plans to introduce pregens of any other class/race combination. Cleric, Fighter, Rogue and Wizard are the four iconic classes all gamers can identify with and as such, are considered the best way to introduce new players to LFR. As always, feel free to provide feedback in the forum thread.
