Dew Gooder

Overview

Character Concept

Dew Gooder was TJ's cleric of Demmazon in Under the Bus.

Dew was one of the party's two heavily armored clerics, alongside Malachi. His most obvious mechanical and practical role was as a healer and divine spellcaster, but the surviving campaign reports show a character who was considerably more proactive than that description suggests.

Dew frequently sought guidance directly from Demmazon, used divine magic to investigate mysteries, advocated strongly for his own interpretation of moral and strategic questions, and was willing to spend his own resources to help other party members.

He was also responsible for several plans that the rest of the party regarded with varying degrees of skepticism.

9th Level Character Snapshot

An older backup character sheet provides a detailed snapshot of Dew at 9th level. This is useful for establishing his early mechanical build, but should not be assumed to represent his later statistics or equipment.

Basic Information

• Race: Human
• Sex: Male
• Age: 23
• Alignment: Neutral Good
• Deity: Demmazon
• Class: Cleric 9
• Height: 6'1"
• Weight: 210 lb.
• Eyes: Blue
• Hair: Blonde
• Skin: White

Ability Scores

Wisdom 20 includes a Periapt of Wisdom +2.

Combat Statistics

• HP: 76
• AC: 24
• Base Attack Bonus: +6

Primary Attack

Dew's primary attack was a spiked shield bash:

• Attack: +9/+4
• Damage: 1d6+3
• His shield had spikes.

His feat selection strongly supports shield bashing as his intended fighting style:

• Improved Shield Bash
• Shield Charge

His secondary melee option was an unarmed strike, supported by Improved Unarmed Strike.

Skills

Feats

• Dodge — bonus feat learned from Marcus
• Improved Unarmed Strike
• Augmented Healing
• Improved Shield Bash
• Toughness
• Shield Charge
• Education — Chosen bonus feat gained through training at Tower of Plinth
• Skill Focus: Religion — Chosen bonus feat

Open character-history detail: TJ has a story explaining how Marcus came to teach Dew the Dodge feat.

Equipment

Armor & Defensive Equipment

• +1 adamantine breastplate
• Plate Armor of the Deep
• Ring of Protection +1
• Dusty Rose Ioun Stone (+1 AC)
• Periapt of Wisdom +2
• Studded leather — apparently intended as sleeping armor; exact purpose not otherwise established
• Badge of the Chosen

The character sheet lists both the +1 adamantine breastplate and the Plate Armor of the Deep. It is inferred that Dew normally wore the breastplate and carried the Plate Armor of the Deep for situations where its specialized underwater capabilities were useful.

The breastplate provided a better maximum Dexterity bonus and lower armor check penalty than the full plate, while also providing DR 2/— from adamantine. The Plate Armor of the Deep provided specialized underwater capabilities.

Legacy Shield

Dew's Chosen legacy item was a +2 heavy mithril shield bearing the symbol of Demmazon.

At this 9th-level snapshot, the shield's documented abilities were:

• Retaliation
• Spell Resistance 17

The shield later acquired additional abilities as Dew progressed:

• Cold Resistance 10
• Energy Defense

Retaliation

Retaliation is a +1-equivalent armor special ability.

When Dew takes 10 or more points of damage from a single melee attack while using the shield, the shield automatically deals 1d6 points of damage back to the attacker.

Energy Defense

The later-unlocked Energy Defense ability functions as follows:

• It continues to provide the benefit of its prerequisite energy-resistance property.
• Dew can activate the shield's energy defense to wreathe it in the specified energy.
• A creature that strikes him with a natural weapon, unarmed attack, or non-reach manufactured melee weapon takes 1d6+10 points of energy damage in addition to the normal damage.
• Usable 3 times per day.
• Lasts 5 rounds, or until Dew dismisses it as a swift action.

The Cold Resistance 10 and Energy Defense abilities were not yet present on the 9th-level backup sheet.

Weapons

• Spiked shield
• Punching dagger
• Sling
• 30 sling bullets

Potions, Scrolls & Magical Consumables

• 2 × Oil of Magic Weapon
• 2 × Potion of Cure Light Wounds
• 2 × Potion of Mage Armor
• 3 × Scroll of Cure Light Wounds
• 1 × Scroll of Water Breathing
• Wand of Cure Light Wounds — 25 charges remaining

Adventuring Gear

• Backpack
• 3 × rations
• 10 × torches
• Flint & steel
• Sunrod
• Crowbar
• Cold-weather outfit
• Miner's helmet
• Holy Symbol of Demmazon

Money

• 4,674 gp
• Owed Tammy 50 gp

Mechanical Snapshot

Cleric 14

AC: 28
HP: 114
Deity: Demmazon

Recorded Abilities

The surviving character snapshot lists:

• Retribution
• Great Orator — Inspire Hope
• Spell Resistance 17
• Cold Resistance 10
• Great Orator — Inflame the Righteous — 12th-level Chosen Power
• Energy Defense
• Light Fortification
• Fire Resistance 10
• Divine Reach — 15th-level Chosen Power

The legacy shield accounts for Retribution, Spell Resistance 17, Cold Resistance 10, and Energy Defense.

The other abilities were likely a combination of Chosen powers and magic items.

Chosen Powers

Dew was one of the The Chosen, a group of exceptional individuals who received special abilities as they advanced. Dew's documented Chosen abilities include:

• 12th: Great Orator — Inflame the Righteous
• 13th: +2 ability score — exact choice not established
• 14th: Bonus feat — Education is documented as a Chosen bonus feat from training at the Tower; the exact level assignment should not be assumed without further evidence
• 15th: Divine Reach
• 16th level: Choice of Fast Healing 1 or DR 1/—

Because the character snapshot identifies Dew as 14th level while also recording his 15th-level Chosen Power, the snapshot appears to represent his progression through at least the 15th-level Chosen selection. The exact timing of when the snapshot was made relative to character advancement should therefore be preserved as uncertain.

Legacy Item

Mithril Shield +2

Dew's legacy item was a:

Mithril Shield +2

The shield had Demmazon's Holy Symbol inlaid in red gold.

The recorded abilities associated with the shield were:

• Retribution
• Spell Resistance 17
• Cold Resistance 10
• Energy Defense

The presence of Demmazon's holy symbol reinforces the strong connection between Dew's equipment, his deity, and his character identity.

Character Role & Fighting Style

Dew functioned as a cleric, healer, front-line combatant, and religious spokesman.

His 9th-level build indicates a deliberate shield-bashing fighting style, rather than treating his shield purely as a defensive item. Improved Shield Bash and Shield Charge supported the use of his spiked shield as his primary weapon, while Improved Unarmed Strike provided a secondary melee option.

His skill investments also show an early emphasis on:

• Concentration
• Religion
• Healing
• Diplomacy
• Oratory

This fits his later characterization as a healer and Great Orator.

Cleric of Demmazon

Dew was explicitly a Cleric of Demmazon.

His relationship with Demmazon was active rather than merely nominal. When faced with major decisions, Dew sometimes turned directly to divine magic to seek guidance.

One of the clearest examples occurred when the party was deciding whether to rejoin The Chosen.

Dew purchased a scroll of Commune specifically so he could ask Demmazon whether he should return.

The response was not completely straightforward, but Dew interpreted it as meaning that Demmazon was not opposed to his return.

He subsequently rejoined The Chosen. Smah Tepants also returned, while Bo Duke and Malachi remained outside the organization.

Relationship with Samos

Dew was particularly opposed to cooperating with Samos.

When Samos presented the party with the reality that they could not simply remain neutral, several members reluctantly accepted that they would have to work with him.

Dew, however, argued vehemently against the arrangement—even doing so directly in front of Samos.

The other party members eventually persuaded him that they had little choice.

This is consistent with the broader picture of Dew as someone who was willing to voice his convictions even when the rest of the party disagreed.

The Wolf Pyramid

Dew played an important role in the party's escape from the collapsing Wolf Pyramid.

After the party destroyed the mysterious portal and the pyramid began collapsing, Dew cast Water Walk on most of the party.

This allowed the affected characters to reach the bottom and run across the water toward the raft instead of having to swim through the collapsing structure.

Dew himself had a somewhat less elegant escape.

During the descent he fell prone and apparently decided that rather than stand back up, he would simply continue rolling off the edges of the steps, falling approximately ten feet at a time until he reached the bottom.

Malachi's Atonement

One of Dew's most significant acts as a cleric involved Malachi.

After Malachi's actions had resulted in him losing his paladin status, Dew sat down with him and discussed what had happened.

Dew required Malachi to swear an oath that he would:

protect those less able to defend themselves first and foremost, before even himself.

Once Malachi accepted the oath, Dew cast Atonement on him and restored his paladin status.

Dew personally paid the 500 XP cost of the spell.

This is one of the strongest pieces of evidence for Dew's sense of religious and moral responsibility.

He did not simply heal Malachi or provide magical assistance; he required a behavioral commitment and then personally sacrificed experience to help restore his fellow cleric/paladin.

Dead Magic Zone Experiment

Dew and Malachi were responsible for preparing the magical solution that allowed the party to investigate suspected Dead Magic Zones from the air.

The party tied approximately 151 feet of rope to Bo Duke and cast Air Walk on him.

Bo was then sent ahead of the flying ship to test the surrounding airspace.

The theory was that if Bo entered a dead-magic zone, his Air Walk would fail, and the rope would prevent him from simply disappearing into the distance.

This became one of the campaign's more memorable examples of the party applying elaborate magical engineering to an extremely questionable-looking practical experiment.

Aegea Expedition

Dew's divine magic contributed to the party's decision to investigate Aegea.

The party was searching for The Quest for the Cure, and Dew had used Commune to establish that the book still existed.

That information contributed to the theory that it might have survived in the flooded ruins of Aegea.

Once the party began searching the underwater ruins, Dew also helped establish a practical reference point.

He marked the first discovered foundation with a buoy constructed from:

• rope,
• a barrel,
• an Arcane Mark,
• and a piton.

This gave the party a fixed location from which to organize their underwater search.

Dew also used Plate Armor of the Deep during the underwater exploration.

Temple of Demmazon

The Aegea expedition eventually led the party to an underwater Temple to Demmazon.

The party was attacked by Kuo-Toa while exploring the ruins.

During the resulting combat, Dew immediately cast Freedom of Movement on himself and Tashiro Sunshine Eastforest.

Malachi was not given the spell and was subsequently grappled by a kuo-toa's pincer staff.

The surviving report does not explain why Dew selected those particular targets.

Healer

Dew was one of the party's primary sources of healing.

During the party's imprisonment under Samos, both Tim and Dew contracted Filth Fever.

The guards prevented Dew from curing himself while they were imprisoned.

When the party was eventually brought into the gladiatorial arena, Dew immediately began using his spells to cure himself and Tim and restore the health they had lost.

He also treated the fever and Wisdom damage suffered by Dunno Mename, Malachi, and Dugan Lifebrew during the journey to Toreon.

The Traitor Investigation

Dew was one of the strongest advocates for investigating the suspected traitor aboard the Sunchaser.

The party had learned through divine magic that a traitor was present, but the majority decided not to actively investigate.

Dew disagreed. He, Malachi, and Smah Tepants undertook an investigation anyway.

Dew favored conducting the investigation covertly and used Zone of Truth while Smah used Detect Thoughts.

Dew insisted on questioning everyone who had not grown up with him, including longtime party members such as Marcus and Demetrius.

The investigation failed to identify the traitor and irritated several members of the party.

The campaign report subsequently described the failed effort as one of TJ's “hairbrained ideas.”

This is probably one of the most useful pieces of surviving material for understanding the relationship between TJ's player and Dew's character.

The Aegisstaff

Dew also played a major role in the party's investigation into The Aegisstaff.

After an encounter with vampires, Malachi used Divination to ask Demmazon how the party could find and acquire the staff.

The answer pointed toward the End of the World.

Dew wanted more information and spent 100 XP to cast Commune, asking Demmazon nine yes-or-no questions.

Among the information obtained:

• The Aegisstaff was not actually at the End of the World.
• It was on the Prime Material Plane.
• It was not in Aegea.
• The party would need to go beyond the End of the World to find the answers they needed.
• There was a traitor aboard the ship.
• Demmazon did not reveal the traitor's identity.
• When asked whether the traitor was someone's cohort, the answer was unclear.

Again, Dew demonstrated his tendency to respond to uncertainty by asking Demmazon for more information.

The Vampire Encounter

Dew came extremely close to death during the party's encounter with four vampires.

He accumulated nine negative levels during the fight.

A tenth negative level would have killed him.

Dugan Lifebrew eventually freed the imprisoned angel Magdala, who began praying.

When a vampire struck Dew again, the attack inflicted only one negative level rather than killing him outright, and Magdala's prayer subsequently drove the remaining vampires away.

Dew therefore survived an encounter in which he was literally one negative level away from death.

The Lich Temple

Dew was among the party members who were turned to stone during the encounter with the Lich.

Smah Tepants and Malachi eventually restored the petrified characters.

When Dew was restored, he was apparently close to failing the resulting system shock check and dying.

Demetrius unexpectedly intervened and somehow gave Dew a “second chance.”

This means Dew narrowly survived several different potentially fatal encounters during the campaign.

Personality and Characterization

The surviving material suggests several recurring characteristics.

Devout

Dew consistently treated his relationship with Demmazon as an active part of his decision-making.

He used Commune, Divination, and other divine magic not merely as adventuring tools but as ways of seeking divine guidance.

Protective

Dew's role as a healer was reinforced by his willingness to spend resources on other characters.

His Atonement of Malachi, including personally paying the XP cost, is the clearest example.

Opinionated

Dew was not particularly shy about disagreeing with the rest of the party.

His opposition to Samos and his insistence on investigating the suspected traitor demonstrate that he was willing to advocate strongly for his own conclusions.

Creative

His use of divine magic often involved unconventional applications:

• Commune for campaign-level questions
• Water Walk as an escape mechanism
• Air Walk as part of a dead-magic detection system
• Zone of Truth as part of a covert investigation

Occasionally Overambitious

The traitor investigation is the clearest example.

The party had voted against actively investigating the suspected traitor, but Dew pursued the investigation anyway.

The effort ultimately produced no useful result and annoyed several of his companions.

The original campaign notes themselves characterized the idea as one of TJ's “hairbrained ideas.”

Relationships

• TJ — player
• Demmazon — deity
• Marcus — taught Dew the Dodge feat
• Malachi — fellow Demmazon paladin and companion
• Smah Tepants — fellow Chosen and student at the Tower
• Dunno Mename — fellow Chosen and companion
• Dugan Lifebrew — fellow Chosen and companion
• Bo Duke — fellow Chosen and companion
• Tim — fellow Chosen and companion
• Tashiro Sunshine Eastforest — fellow Chosen and companion
• Kamal — fellow paladin and later companion
• Samos — antagonist in the Chosen conflict
• Brother Tomlin — instructor at Tower of Plinth
• The The Chosen — organization/group to which Dew belonged

Known Equipment

Legacy Item

Mithril Shield +2

• Demmazon's holy symbol inlaid in red gold
• Retribution
• Spell Resistance 17
• Cold Resistance 10
• Energy Defense

Other Documented Equipment

• Plate Armor of the Deep
• Prayer Beads

The complete equipment list is unknown.

Player Anecdote Candidates

“TJ's Hairbrained Idea”

During the investigation of the suspected traitor aboard the Sunchaser, TJ pushed for secretly interrogating the entire crew with Zone of Truth and Detect Thoughts despite the party having voted against actively investigating.

The investigation failed to identify the traitor, annoyed some of the party members, and was subsequently described in the campaign report as one of TJ's “hairbrained ideas.”

This is an especially good candidate for the TJ player page because the description comes directly from the contemporary campaign notes.

The Air Walk Experiment

Dew and Malachi prepared the spells that allowed the party to test for Dead Magic Zones by tying Bo Duke to approximately 151 feet of rope and sending him ahead of the airship under Air Walk.

Ray gets the distinction of actually being the person dangling from the ship.

TJ gets partial credit for inventing/preparing the magical apparatus that made this perfectly reasonable scientific experiment possible.

The Pyramid Escape

During the collapse of the Wolf Pyramid, Dew cast Water Walk on most of the party so they could escape across the water.

Dew himself fell prone during the escape and apparently decided that the most efficient solution was to keep rolling off the successive ledges, falling ten feet at a time until he reached the bottom.

Open Questions

• What was Dew's 13th-level ability-score increase?
• What was his 14th-level Chosen bonus feat, if different from the documented Education feat?
• What was his 16th-level Chosen choice: Fast Healing 1 or DR 1/—?
• When and how did the later Chosen abilities unlock?
• What were the exact mechanics and origin of Dew's other recorded abilities?
• What became of Dew after the events documented in Under the Bus?