The art of Jarom Swenson

From my recent posts, you have seen some journal entries from a dwarf named Behrun Farsetter. This is an actual character I am playing in a DnD 4E campaign that my brother, Jarom Swenson, is running for me. The setting for this campaign is called Konomancer.

It is a project Jarom and i have both been working on for a long time. It started out as a fantasy story that we wanted to make into a comic book, which can be found here. The first volume is complete, and we are working on volume 2. But we have already gone beyond that. We have developed the world and setting, making it a lot more in depth than just that of the comic book. We realized there was much more to the underlying story that took place before and after.

So one of our projects is to make this setting of Konomancer into a DnD campaign setting. With me as creative director and Jarom as lead artist. We decided to put this to the test by doing a DnD campaign in this setting. The time period for this takes place a while after the story of our Konomancer comic book. The main character, Behrun Farsetter, is of a new class we created called the Crusader. Sort of a holy warrior who weilds 2 weapons and fights with increasing fury. These crusaders were in the works before we planned on making them into a DnD character class. They were the backbone for a religion that worships their ancestors. This religion called Benefictus believes in living a certain way so upon death you become a spiritual being that helps those who are in your family, provided they worship you. It was our own twist on divine powers that doesnt utilize a mythical god or a pantheon of gods, as does most DnD settings do. Therefor this Crusader is a divine class, and everything about it revolves around ancestral worship.

Here's a preview of the class:

CRUSADER

CLASS TRAITS

Role: Striker: Your religion’s vigor and zealotry is channeled to rid the world of evil as it meets your two bloody tools of purging.

Power Source: Divine: As a tool of the spirits and ancestors, they bolster your weapons and strengthen your resolve to be an unstoppable force against evil. Your blind devotion also makes you harder to control in battle.

Key Abilities: Wisdom, Strength, Constitution

Armor Proficiency: Cloth, leather, hide, chainmail

Weapon Proficiency: Simple melee, military melee

Implements: Holy Symbol

Bonus to Defense: +2 Will

Hit points at 1st Level: 14+ Constitution Score

Hit points per Level Gained: 5

Healing Surges per Day: 7+ Constitution Modifier

Trained Skills: Religion. From the class skills list below, choose 3 more trained skills at 1st level.

Class Skills: Athletics (Str), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), Insight (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Perception (Wis), Religion (Int)

Class Features: Crusader’s Fury, Crusader’s Weapons, Furious Strike, Channel Divinity

Crusader Class Features

Crusaders have the following class features.

Crusader’s Fury

The Crusader builds his righteous rage the longer he attacks the same target. He learns of its weaknesses through fighting it and adapts his technique to match. Whenever you attack a single target, add 1 to your Fury for each weapon hit. (For example, 1[W] powers can add 1 Fury if it hits, 2[W] powers can add 2 Fury if hits, and 2 attacks of 1[W] each can add 1 Fury for each hit). Your Fury has a starting value of 0, and it resets to 0 when you switch to a different target or you take a short rest or an extended rest. Your Fury value has a maximum value of 10 at 1^st through 10^th level, a maximum value of 15 at 11^th through 20^th level, and a maximum value of 20 at 21^st through 30^th level. Any additional Fury gained after the set maximum is lost.

Once per round, you may add your current Fury value as a bonus to any one damage roll. If you have dealt Fury damage since the start of your turn, you cannot deal it again until the start of your next turn.

Crusader’s Weapons

The signature of the Crusader’s fighting are two weapons. They train in a martial style centered around them, always making sure that when one is in use, the other is at the ready. You can wield a one-handed weapon in your off hand as if it were an off-hand weapon. In addition you gain Two-Weapon Threat as a bonus feat, even if you don’t meet the prerequisites.

Furious Strike

In one righteous filled strike, Crusaders can expel all their pent up Fury. In addition some powers grant additional effects when they strike in this fashion. Choose one of the following class features:

Purging Fury: Once per encounter, as a minor action, deal damage to your current target equal to your current Fury value and reset it to 0. You gain a bonus to your next attack roll on that target equal to your Strength modifier until the end of your next turn.

Raging Fury: Once per encounter, as a minor action, deal damage to your current target equal to your current Fury value and reset it to 0. You gain temporary hit points equal to twice your Constitution modifier.

Channel Divinity

Once per encounter, you can use a Channel Divinity power. You start with two Channel Divinity powers: Divine Push and Divine Vigor. You can gain additional Channel Divinity powers by taking divinity feats.

Implement

Like the Cleric and Paladin, Crusaders wield holy symbols to call upon the help of ancestral spirits. A Crusader wearing or holding a magic holy symbol can add its enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls to powers that have the implement keyword. Without a holy symbol, a Crusader can still use these powers, but he or she doesn’t gain the bonus provided by the magic implement.

Crusader Powers

Crusader powers are called prayers. They rely on the guidance of the ancestral spirits to strike harder and truer. Many times it appears to be as though the power they wield does not come from within their own.

As i said, Jarom is the lead artist for the project, so i will showcase some of his sketches he's been doing for it:
This is a portrait of Behrun Farsetter. This is pretty standard for the look of the Crusader.

• Chainmail armor that resembers more of a samurai than anything.
• 2 one-handed weapons that they dual wield with a fighting style they train in for most of their lives.
• An ancestral scroll case slung over their front. It contains the family geneology mountain.

An adventuring party comes accross a ruined Qur'haddan transport (like the one mentioned in Behrun's journal entry day 7)
Defending the hold against a horde of beasts. What are they? And who is that shadowy figure commanding them? This is actually something we plan to release later after the initial comic book and DnD campaign setting are done.
A battle taking place. The guy climbing the hill with the big sword is actually a very significant historical figure in the Konomancer setting. More to come with the comic book series.
A dungeon delve turns real bleak real quick.
Yet another scene of a group trying to get out of sticky situations. As we were working this setting, be both just came to realize "this has DnD adventures written all over it!" Originally during that time, DnD was still in the 3.5 ruleset. Then 4th edition came out and it was perfect for what we needed.
A human comes accross an odd looking axe stuck out of a dead corpse during their dungeon delve. That dwarf Crusader looks shocked as he reaches for it. What could it be?