My Indie Author D&D Character
Would you let me join your party?
Russell, the Indie Author
Human (Creative) Multi-Class: Writer 7 / Publisher 4 / Marketer 3
Background: Storysmith (You gain proficiency in Obsession and Coffee Brewing.)
Alignment: Chaotic Deadline Neutral
Hit Points: Variable (increases and decreases depending on caffeine intake)
AC (Authorial Confidence): 13 (rises after good reviews, drops sharply after 1-star reviews)
Current Quest
To defeat the twin bosses of Obscurity and Algorithm, and ascend to the Legendary Tier: Full-Time Indie Author.
Class Features
Writer (level 7)
Wordsmith’s Flow (At-Will): You can summon a torrent of words equal to your word count experience. In your case, you’ve written 500,000 words, granting you advantage on “Endurance Writing” checks (long drafting sessions).
Plot Twist (1/Day): Once per project, you can radically change direction mid-story and somehow make it work.
Writer’s Block (Curse): When faced with distraction, you must succeed on a DC 15 Focus Check or lose 1d4 days of progress.
Epic Drafting (Passive): Having completed 7 stories, you gain +2 to Wisdom (Persistence) saves.
Imaginative Summons (At-Will): Conjure NPCs, worlds, and dialogue snippets from thin air.
Publisher (level 4)
Formatting Proficiency: You gain expertise in PDF, EPUB, and DOCX conversion, though each roll has a 10% chance of mysterious gremlin corruption.
Cover Reveal (1/Week): By brandishing a new book cover, you can inspire your followers, giving allies advantage on “Hype” checks.
Distribution (Passive): You know how to summon books into existence on multiple platforms (Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble). Summons sometimes arrive late, miscategorized, or with typos.
Proofreader’s Eye: You may attempt to spot errors with a Perception check. Critical successes remove typos. Critical failures introduce new ones.
Marketer (level 3)
Ad Campaign (3/Long Rest): You can create Facebook and Amazon ads. On a successful roll (DC 18), you gain gold and visibility. On a failed roll, you lose 2d10 gold pieces.
Keyword Alchemy: You have proficiency in the mystical art of keywords. Success brings readers. Failure brings bots.
Audience Summon (Ritual): You may attempt to summon readers via email list or ads. This has a variable success rate (1d20 + Charisma modifier).
Social Media Fatigue (Passive): Long exposure to algorithms imposes disadvantage on Enthusiasm checks.
Multi-Class Synergy: Indie Author Abilities
Persistence of the Indie (Passive): Because you’ve published 4 novels + 1 short story, you have resistance to “Imposter Syndrome” damage.
Launch Day Chaos (Triggered): When you release a book, roll 1d100. On 1–50, glitches occur (wrong category, missing sales, Amazon delay). On 51–100, fans cheer and you gain temporary HP equal to reviews left.
Three-Year Grind (Passive): You’ve been running ads long enough that failure no longer stuns you. You are immune to the “Demoralization” condition for up to 24 hours.
The Indie’s Gamble (At-Will): You may invest gold into an uncertain strategy (ads, promos, covers). Roll 1d20. On 10+, gain returns equal to investment. On 9 or lower, the money vanishes into the abyss.
Inventory
Quill of Endless Drafting (recharges daily at dawn)
Mug of Infinite Coffee (bonus action: restore 1d4 energy) - Last year I was in in the top .2% of Starbucks star earners in the country or maybe world. I’m trying to cut back.
Endless Google Docs (advantage on Plot Organization rolls)
Facebook Ad Manager (Cursed Item: always demands gold, never guarantees results)