Posted September 09, 2021
Back in 2004, inspired by the movie "The Witches of Eastwick" and the evil AD&D characters my classmates talked about playing back at highschool, I created my Icewind Dale party:
"The Bitches of Easthaven":
A group of incredibly unpleasant adventurers from Easthaven, the Bitches of Easthaven have a tendency to bully and brutalize the people they encounter in their travels. After traveling to Luskan with a group of pirates, they slew the entire crew, including the parrot. Stranded in Luskan (since everyone who knew how to sail the ship was dead), they decided to seek out their fortune with the packs of mercenaries sent to aid Targos (intending to slay the mercenaries for "adventuring experience" and loot any items found on the dead bodies). Their evil and conniving leader, Astazar, gave the group its name.
Astazar, a proud Rock Gnome Assassin (he prefers capitals - if you don't write it with capitals, you are liable to wake up one day with a knife in your back), is an intimidating, charismatic figure. Actually he is not really that charismatic, but don't tell him that. Make sure you don't mention how short he is either. In fact, it's probably best not to say anything to Astazar at all, and preferably avoid him and his fellow Bitches altogther. It is no surprise that the people the party encounters often end up with knives in their backs, courtesy of Astazar. He claims to be considering becoming an "Illusionist-Assassin", but no-one has been brave enough to ask whether he means "both an Illusionist and an Assassin" or "an Assassin who assassinates Illusionists" - or at least, no-one has survived the conversation.
Astazar Demonblade (Neutral Evil, Male, Rock Gnome, Rogue): STR: 14, DEX: 12, CON: 10, INT: 10, WIS: 14, CHA: 16, Skills: Bluff (2), Intimidate (1), Feats: Toughness, Simple Weapon - Mace.
Hildara Cougarclan, a barbarian from the Western Heartlands, is even more bloodthirsty than Astazar. Though she's a bit dim and not particularly strong for a barbarian, her incredible endurance and lack of mercy make her a dangerous opponent. She earned her nickname from a barfight, in which she killed four warriors from the Cougar Clan out of sheer malice (after she had already beat them into unconsciousness), and then went on to slaughter everyone else who belonged to the Cougar Clan.
Hildara Cougarclan (Neutral Evil, Female, Half-orc, Barbarian): STR: 16, DEX: 16, CON: 18, INT: 8, WIS: 10, CHA: 8, Skills: Intimidate (2), Wilderness Lore (4), Feats: Dodge, Martial Weapon - Axe.
The dispossessed dwarven noble, Droth, is a cool and efficient killer. A deadlier fighter than anyone else in the Bitches of Easthaven, he is often the last one standing at the end of their "disputes". He also has a quick mind, making him a bit more versatile than simple Hildara. No prizes for guessing where he gets his nickname.
Droth Skullsplitter (Chaotic Evil, Male, Gray Dwarf, Cleric - Battleguard of Tempus): STR: 10, DEX: 20, CON: 10, INT: 14, WIS: 14, CHA: 8, Skills: Intimidate (4), Knowledge (Arcana) (2), Wilderness Lore (2), Feats: Ambidexterity, Two Weapon Fighting.
Liyana Do'Thasador is the only wussy Elf in the Bitches of Easthaven, but her position as the party's necromancer and her evil cackling laugh make her quite valuable. A Drow (do remember to spell it with a capital, so she doesn't turn you into her zombie slave), she does not have the stealth of Astazar, the brutal bar-brawling abilities of Hildara, nor the skullsplitting abilities of Droth Skullsplitter, but her spells do kick ass - literally. She is very intelligent, strong-willed, and like I said, kicks ass.
Liyana Do'Thasador (Neutral Evil, Female, Drow, Cleric - Demarch of Mask): STR: 16, DEX: 10, CON: 18, INT: 14, WIS: 10, CHA: 8, Skills: Disable Device (4), Hide (4), Move Silently (4), Open Lock (4), Pick Pocket (4), Search (4), Feats: Simple Weapon - Small Blade.
Another dispossessed outcast in the party, Shadowcat Moonfire, is a capable half-demon all-round thug and soon to be monk (she's looking forward to being able do that thing where monks kill people with a single touch). Strong, tough and "enlightened", she leaves discussion to Astazar and the others, since she is a grumpy individual who warms up more to beating enemies to a bloody pulp than she warms to a friendly stranger.
Shadowcat Moonfire (Lawful Evil, Female, Tiefling, Rogue): STR: 16, DEX: 10, CON: 18, INT: 14, WIS: 10, CHA: 8, Skills: Disable Device (4), Hide (4), Move Silently (4), Open Lock (4), Pick Pocket (4), Search (4), Feats: Simple Weapon - Small Blade.
The last member of the group, Solarra Lightbringer, hopes to bring light to the world, in particular the other members of the party - however, she is a bit naive in thinking that she can bring any light to this bunch of miscreants. While she is wise and profound generally, when the party has a problem with people they meet, Solarra barges forward and chops those people into little pieces - thus she fits right in with the others. Unlike Astazar, etc., Solarra does not consider herself particularly well-suited for negotiating with people they encounter - hence most encounters are negotiated by the more unscrupulous members of the group, and end up the same way: with the other party all dead, and their treasure in the hands of the Bitches.
Solarra Lightbringer (Lawful Good, Female, Aasimar, Paladin of Ilmater): STR: 10, DEX: 10, CON: 10, INT: 16, WIS: 16, CHA: 14, Skills: Animal Empathy (4), Bluff (2), Concentration (4), Diplomacy (4), Intimidate (2), Search (1), Spellcraft (4), Wilderness Lore (4), Feats: Luck of Heroes, Simple Weapon - Missile.
"The Bitches of Easthaven":
A group of incredibly unpleasant adventurers from Easthaven, the Bitches of Easthaven have a tendency to bully and brutalize the people they encounter in their travels. After traveling to Luskan with a group of pirates, they slew the entire crew, including the parrot. Stranded in Luskan (since everyone who knew how to sail the ship was dead), they decided to seek out their fortune with the packs of mercenaries sent to aid Targos (intending to slay the mercenaries for "adventuring experience" and loot any items found on the dead bodies). Their evil and conniving leader, Astazar, gave the group its name.
Astazar, a proud Rock Gnome Assassin (he prefers capitals - if you don't write it with capitals, you are liable to wake up one day with a knife in your back), is an intimidating, charismatic figure. Actually he is not really that charismatic, but don't tell him that. Make sure you don't mention how short he is either. In fact, it's probably best not to say anything to Astazar at all, and preferably avoid him and his fellow Bitches altogther. It is no surprise that the people the party encounters often end up with knives in their backs, courtesy of Astazar. He claims to be considering becoming an "Illusionist-Assassin", but no-one has been brave enough to ask whether he means "both an Illusionist and an Assassin" or "an Assassin who assassinates Illusionists" - or at least, no-one has survived the conversation.
Astazar Demonblade (Neutral Evil, Male, Rock Gnome, Rogue): STR: 14, DEX: 12, CON: 10, INT: 10, WIS: 14, CHA: 16, Skills: Bluff (2), Intimidate (1), Feats: Toughness, Simple Weapon - Mace.
Hildara Cougarclan, a barbarian from the Western Heartlands, is even more bloodthirsty than Astazar. Though she's a bit dim and not particularly strong for a barbarian, her incredible endurance and lack of mercy make her a dangerous opponent. She earned her nickname from a barfight, in which she killed four warriors from the Cougar Clan out of sheer malice (after she had already beat them into unconsciousness), and then went on to slaughter everyone else who belonged to the Cougar Clan.
Hildara Cougarclan (Neutral Evil, Female, Half-orc, Barbarian): STR: 16, DEX: 16, CON: 18, INT: 8, WIS: 10, CHA: 8, Skills: Intimidate (2), Wilderness Lore (4), Feats: Dodge, Martial Weapon - Axe.
The dispossessed dwarven noble, Droth, is a cool and efficient killer. A deadlier fighter than anyone else in the Bitches of Easthaven, he is often the last one standing at the end of their "disputes". He also has a quick mind, making him a bit more versatile than simple Hildara. No prizes for guessing where he gets his nickname.
Droth Skullsplitter (Chaotic Evil, Male, Gray Dwarf, Cleric - Battleguard of Tempus): STR: 10, DEX: 20, CON: 10, INT: 14, WIS: 14, CHA: 8, Skills: Intimidate (4), Knowledge (Arcana) (2), Wilderness Lore (2), Feats: Ambidexterity, Two Weapon Fighting.
Liyana Do'Thasador is the only wussy Elf in the Bitches of Easthaven, but her position as the party's necromancer and her evil cackling laugh make her quite valuable. A Drow (do remember to spell it with a capital, so she doesn't turn you into her zombie slave), she does not have the stealth of Astazar, the brutal bar-brawling abilities of Hildara, nor the skullsplitting abilities of Droth Skullsplitter, but her spells do kick ass - literally. She is very intelligent, strong-willed, and like I said, kicks ass.
Liyana Do'Thasador (Neutral Evil, Female, Drow, Cleric - Demarch of Mask): STR: 16, DEX: 10, CON: 18, INT: 14, WIS: 10, CHA: 8, Skills: Disable Device (4), Hide (4), Move Silently (4), Open Lock (4), Pick Pocket (4), Search (4), Feats: Simple Weapon - Small Blade.
Another dispossessed outcast in the party, Shadowcat Moonfire, is a capable half-demon all-round thug and soon to be monk (she's looking forward to being able do that thing where monks kill people with a single touch). Strong, tough and "enlightened", she leaves discussion to Astazar and the others, since she is a grumpy individual who warms up more to beating enemies to a bloody pulp than she warms to a friendly stranger.
Shadowcat Moonfire (Lawful Evil, Female, Tiefling, Rogue): STR: 16, DEX: 10, CON: 18, INT: 14, WIS: 10, CHA: 8, Skills: Disable Device (4), Hide (4), Move Silently (4), Open Lock (4), Pick Pocket (4), Search (4), Feats: Simple Weapon - Small Blade.
The last member of the group, Solarra Lightbringer, hopes to bring light to the world, in particular the other members of the party - however, she is a bit naive in thinking that she can bring any light to this bunch of miscreants. While she is wise and profound generally, when the party has a problem with people they meet, Solarra barges forward and chops those people into little pieces - thus she fits right in with the others. Unlike Astazar, etc., Solarra does not consider herself particularly well-suited for negotiating with people they encounter - hence most encounters are negotiated by the more unscrupulous members of the group, and end up the same way: with the other party all dead, and their treasure in the hands of the Bitches.
Solarra Lightbringer (Lawful Good, Female, Aasimar, Paladin of Ilmater): STR: 10, DEX: 10, CON: 10, INT: 16, WIS: 16, CHA: 14, Skills: Animal Empathy (4), Bluff (2), Concentration (4), Diplomacy (4), Intimidate (2), Search (1), Spellcraft (4), Wilderness Lore (4), Feats: Luck of Heroes, Simple Weapon - Missile.
Post edited September 09, 2021 by SimonAmor