Oddwit Silverheel - Gnome-Fighter Bard

As featured in the pregenerated characters for Dungeon Crawl Classics #31: Vault of the Dragon Kings (2005 Gen Con tournament module, scheduled for release in April 2006).

Odveck Silverheel, of the High March Silverheels, is the greatest hero of the gnomish people - or so he'd have you believe. The scrappy gnomish warrior is called Oddwit by those who know him, a testament to his bizarre sense of humor, love of practical jokes and frequent lack of common sense. Oddwit takes pride in the moniker, and relishes the opportunity to share his stories, fictional and otherwise, with any willing to lend an ear.

Beneath the devil-may-care attitude and mischievous grin, though, lies the heavy heart of a veteran. Oddwit makes light of the situation, regardless of how dire it may be, but deep inside he knows the dangers that face adventurers as himself. Despite his short stature and carefree demeanor, Oddwit sees himself as a surrogate father of sorts to some of the younger adventurers, and has found himself assuming responsibility for their well-being. Oddwit may very well be one of the better read and educated warriors encountered, and sometimes he curses his upbringing for making him abundantly aware of just how dangerous life can be - but his cunning and intelligence serve him well on the field of battle.

His myriad talents sometime make it difficult for Oddwit Silverheel to decide how he can best serve the group. He is a savvy fighter and proudly bears the sword Searing Kiss, a gift from his father. While backing down from a challenge has never been his strong suit, Oddwit is experienced enough to know that sometimes caution truly is the better part of valor, and he looks for opportunities to use his inspirational chants and hymns to bolster his party's abilities.

Oddwit is sturdily built, and were it not for his clean shaven face, might be mistaken for a skinny dwarf instead of a well muscled gnome. His thick brown hair is curly, but already wisps of grey are creeping into his temples. Oddwit's eyes glint of mischief, and he's always turning something over in his mind - numbers, dates, historical events or tactical maneuvers.