Berkeley the Songstress Gynoid: A Pregen for Black Work

"'The name of the world is lost.

It has been expunged from our memory, a casualty of the primordial destruction which has consumed us. Our arrogance has ruined our majestic civilizations, more names lost in the fire. 

Yet we must call our world something: so it shall be Thune, a meaningless name, perhaps, but it is the first of many names which we shall give meaning once more. As we scrounge among the glittering inventions of the forgotten world, rediscovering old magics and uncovering new sciences, we shall speak many names into being and we shall hammer meaning into them with blood and sweat and song. This is our good news: our Gospel. 

For the ancient fires which stocked the world and wrought our destruction may yet be our salvation. Creation unbound by gods or kings or the tyranny of truth: that is the fire which burns within the Black Lantern.'

This was the liturgy of those that followed in the path of the Black Choir. For in those days the secret of the doom which befell our world would be rediscovered, as hands plotted in secret to know that which should not be known. Their Black Work would be the first of many sorrows as man, in his endless arrogance, tried once more to wrestle with powers beyond his ken. Stay and listen, and I will tell you the tale. 

You see, children, the world I woke to was strange indeed. Though much of my own memory was lost, I was still shocked at its savagery and barbarism. I knew even though I lacked much of my memory, that the world was less kind, less sane. A little madness had leaked into the world, understandable, perhaps. In those days Escalon was a jigsaw puzzle of time. One street might be the picture of a medieval fish market and yet overhead, the great manta-flyers of the Speaker-Priests would pass, slicing the air, approaching their great shining temple of steel and plastic. From one mouth you could hear the hawking of charms of fertility. Another would sell power cells, rescued from titanic machine corpses littering the wastes of the Maghreb.

It was into this world that I awoke."

- Songs of  Remembrance by Berkeley Prime

WIP Cover by Scott Charlton

So I am working on a new project with Scott Charlton and Graphite Prime in the world of Thune by the name of Black Work powered by Swords and Wizardry. One of our ideas to introduce the setting would be to include pregenerated characters that fit within the setting already and give clues about it, each including a few of their own rumors about the world. These characters would each come with their own mechanics and advancement systems, starting at level 3 and going through level 5. They don't have their own classes per say, but they are class-adjacent. We are bending Swords or Wizardry a little, but we are confident it won't break.

This was our very first such character, Berkely, that we hope to include a future related project. This is still a work in progress so things are very likely or certain to change about this. We are going to reduce the number of rumors just for purposes of space, but I thought I'd include them all here for fun, and because I wrote them all and gosh-darn-it I want people to see them! 

Berkeley the Songstress Gynoid   HP: 16, HD: 3d8+1, AC: 6 [13]
Str: 17 (+2), Dex: 12 (+0), Con: 13 (+1), Int: 18, Wis: 8, Cha: 18, Attack Table: As Cleric

She is the songbird of songbirds: a mysterious device full of endless music from the old world. What could be hiding behind that emerald carapace, bright eyes, and gentle smile?

Level	XP Required to Advance	Hit Dice (d8)	Save	Class Features
3	0	3	13	Voice of an Angel, +3 Ability Points
4	6000	4	12	+1 Ability Point
5	12000	5	11	+1 Ability Point

Each level pick one of the following Abilities to spend an Ability Point on. Berkeley begins play with a point in Voice of an Angel.

Voice of an Angel: When Berkeley sings, everyone listens. Berkeley’s music bolsters her allies and weakens foes. While she is singing and taking no other action, she may apply a +2 bonus to any ally’s attack or a -2 penalty to any enemy’s attack. This can be declared before or after the die is rolled. Berkey may use this ability 2+level times per day. Each further AP spent on this ability, increases the bonus/penalty granted by 1.

Hymn of Valor: Berkeley sings a heroic song of dim remembrance. Using up a use of Voice, Berkeley grants all allies that can hear her 1d3 temporary hit points. Each further AP spent on this ability increases the die by a step, 1d4, 1d6, 1d8, 1d10. Allies can only benefit from this song once per day.

Hypnotic Melody: Berkeley serenades a target that can hear her with such precisely attuned music that the target must make a Save or be utterly entranced. All the target’s actions are at a-2 penalty in this state but they will obey Berkeley’s desires until hostile action is taken against them or they are asked to do something self-destructive. Each further AP spent on this ability increases the number of targets that can be affected by this song at once by 1.

Sonic Screech: Berkeley unleashes a destructive wave of sound. Everyone within 60ft takes 1d8 damage, Save halves. After using this ability, Berkeley, must rest for 10 minutes to repair herself before being able to produce any sound at all. Each additional AP spent on this ability increases damage by 1d8.

Lullaby: Berkeley sings a song that assures a great rest for her allies. Using up a point of Voice, that will not recharge for the next day, allies gain an additional 1d6 HP during their rest. Each further AP spent on this increases the die a step: 1d8, 1d10, 1d12, 3d6.

Vox Apparatus: Berkely may interface with other complex computing devices from the golden age. There is a 1 in 6 chance she can make any device work as she desires. Each further AB spent on this ability, increases the chance by 1.

D20 Rumor Table:

1. Found being worshipped in a ruined temple
2. Found in a buried old world laboratory
3. Stolen from a Speaker Temple
4. Escaped from a Speaker Temple
5. Clients always helplessly fall for her
6. Has mind-control powers
7. She is an angel sent by the Speaker
8. She is truly an old world war machine
9. She is her pimp’s favorite
10. She is actually in charge of the brothel
11. Wealthy clients constantly send her gifts
12. Speaker Agents are after her
13. Rival brothels have tried to kidnap her
14. Is too pure for any client to actually bed her
15. She holds the codes to old world weapons
16. Machines like her doomed the old world
17. She can command all old world tech
18. She is the robot equivalent of a goddess
19. She has hermaphroditic capabilities
20. She is a Speaker Temple Agent

Equipment:

Prostitute’s Kit

Fancy Dresses

A Necklace of Power Gems: Worth 300gp, could be used to power machines or as an explosive, dealing 2d6 in a 10ft radius, Save halves.