Player character
Brakkus Embervein
Brakkus Embervein
Male Dwarf Gunslinger 1 · Salvage Engineer of Vladmirr
Brakkus Embervein was born among quarry smoke, forge ash, and salvage docks. Before joining the expedition, he worked dangerous recovery contracts around Vladmirr, retrieving relics from collapsed foundations, drowned basements, volcanic vents, and wrecked cargo barges. He trusts steel, powder, and engineering more than prophecy or ancient myths — though the Castrovin Sea has begun challenging that certainty.
Brakkus fills the party’s ranged damage and expedition engineering role. He handles firearms, black powder, demolition charges, pressure systems, salvage equipment, and eventually the restoration and operation of the submersibles recovered in Vladmirr. He thrives in defensive firefights, tunnel ambushes, shipboard engagements, and later volcanic Darklands sieges.
Level 1 Character Sheet
Male dwarf gunslinger 1
LN Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +7
Defense
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14
(+4 chain shirt, +3 Dex)
hp 11 (1d10+1)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +2
Defensive Traits hardy, stability
Offense
Speed 20 ft.
Ranged battered pistol +5 (1d8/×4, misfire 1)
Melee boarding axe +3 (1d6+2/×3)
Special grit 3, gunsmith, deeds
Statistics
Str 14, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 16
Feats Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Skills Craft (alchemy) +6, Craft (gunsmithing) +8, Disable Device +7, Engineering +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +6, Perception +7, Profession (sailor) +5, Survival +4, Swim +1
Languages Common, Dwarven, Kelish, Undercommon
Gunslinger Features
Grit: Brakkus begins with 3 grit points based on Wisdom. He spends grit for deeds and regains it through critical hits or killing blows with firearms.
Deeds: At 1st level Brakkus has Gunslinger’s Dodge, Quick Clear, and Up Close and Deadly.
Gunsmith: Begins with a battered pistol and the ability to craft and repair firearms and ammunition.
Firearm Expertise: Within the first range increment, firearms target touch AC — making Brakkus extremely dangerous against armored pirates and tunnel fighters.
How to Play Brakkus
Campaign Role
Why Brakkus Fits Razored Labyrinth
| Campaign Phase | Brakkus’s Role |
|---|---|
| Kridorfrost | Analyzes collapsed supports, excavation methods, and evidence of deliberate tunneling. |
| Kridorn | Identifies smuggling infrastructure, illegal powder shipments, and pirate armaments. |
| Black Glass Peak | Studies obsidian extraction techniques and sabotage operations. |
| Ninshabur | Handles ancient locks, pressure doors, salvage tools, and unstable ruins. |
| Vladmirr | Critical for recovering, repairing, and testing the submersibles. |
| Darklands | Becomes siege support, demolition expert, and ranged executioner in tunnels. |
Submersible Expertise
Brakkus becomes one of the most important PCs once the party reaches Vladmirr and begins recovering the Apparatus-style submersibles. He understands pressure seals, ballast systems, structural reinforcement, rivets, emergency patching, and salvage modifications better than anyone else in the expedition.
Recommended Firearm Progression
| Tier | Weapon Goal | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Pistol | Reliable close-range touch attacks. |
| 4–6 | Double-barreled pistol or musket | More stopping power during ship fights and tunnel defense. |
| 7–10 | Reliable enchanted firearm | Misfires become deadly in dangerous environments. |
| 11–14 | Advanced or named firearm | Late-game Spawn and Darklands enemies require serious ranged pressure. |
Recommended Progression Through Level 14
| Level | Feat / Feature | Recommendation | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feats | Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot | Core firearm accuracy foundation. |
| 2 | Deed | Utility Shot | Very thematic for maritime combat and salvage. |
| 3 | Feat | Rapid Reload (pistol) | Critical quality-of-life improvement. |
| 4 | Ability Score | +1 Dex | Primary attack stat. |
| 5 | Feat | Deadly Aim | Major damage increase. |
| 6 | Deed | Targeting | Excellent utility against elite enemies. |
| 7 | Feat | Rapid Shot | More attacks means more firearm pressure. |
| 8 | Ability Score | +1 Dex | Accuracy scaling. |
| 9 | Feat | Clustered Shots | Helps against late-game DR. |
| 10 | Deed | Bleeding Wound | Very strong against living enemies. |
| 11 | Feat | Improved Critical (firearm) | Critical hits restore grit. |
| 12 | Ability Score | +1 Dex | Late-game firearm scaling. |
| 13 | Feat | Snap Shot or Signature Deed | Choose battlefield control or reliability. |
| 14 | Deed | Expert Loading | Improves sustained firearm combat. |
Preferred Gear
- Reliable firearm: The single most important item in the build.
- Powder horn and waterproof ammunition kit: Mandatory in maritime campaigns.
- Engineering kit: Salvage tools, rivets, pressure seals, braces, and repair equipment.
- Efficient quiver or ammunition belt: Helps reload economy.
- Darklands lantern: Light discipline matters underground.
- Goggles of minute seeing: Excellent for salvage and engineering work.
Personal Sidequest — The Iron Pressure Vault
Brakkus discovers plans for an experimental deep-pressure salvage vault beneath Vladmirr, built decades ago by engineers attempting to recover artifacts from submerged ruins. Recovering the vault may provide upgrades for the expedition’s submersibles and reveal evidence of earlier attempts to explore beneath the Castrovin Sea.
Alternate Sidequest — Powder Below the Waves
Illegal black-powder shipments are disappearing near Black Glass Peak. Brakkus uncovers a hidden weapons-forging operation producing specialized excavation explosives for the obsidian pirates.
Campaign Quote
“Stone collapses. Steel fails. Pressure kills. That’s why we reinforce everything twice.”