Balnor

Balnor the Brave (Image by /u/BackchatLeslie, posted on the subreddit)

**Balnor the Brave** is a knight who was summoned to assist Beverly Toegold V. The summoning took place after Beverly drew the Knight card in the Deck of Many things, offered to him by a travelling wizard. At first, Balnor had little recollection of when or where he was summoned from. He was occasionally hit by a flashback to his past life and stared off into the distance. He is fiercely loyal to Beverly and the rest of the Band of Boobs, but can be clumsy and somewhat incompetent.

## Description

Balnor is a halfling with a white mustache and white hair. He has a very loyal, fatherly personality and can be timid at times. Balnor has a fondness for bland foods, especially tuna sandwiches, and avoids spicy things at all costs. Balnor is the noblest Watcher of the Bags and guards this position, his friends/new son, and the bags fiercely. He was first assigned to watch the bags during the fight of the Froghemoth. Balnor has proven himself to be quite capable in combat, serving the fell swoop to giants and giant snakes alike.

## Background

Before his summoning by Beverly, Balnor had a wife and a son named Bobby (although he worried that his son didn't respect him). At first, he cannot remember any more about his past life than those details and the occasional flashback that he has.

However, with time, more details return to him, and Balnor shares that he had been conscripted to fight in a war that he did not want to fight in. The war had forced many who were unable or unwilling to fight into service, and Balnor was terrified of what this would bring. It seems as if Balnor was right on the verge of being forced into combat when he was summoned by Beverly and pulled through time into the past.

## Role in the Story

At first, Balnor provides minor assistance to the adventurers, often only responsible for carrying the bags. Yet, as time passes he begins to prove to be more and more useful, eventually becoming an important member of the group.

In the Frostwind chapters Balnor was named a member of The Band of Boobs after he volunteered to carry the weapon used to kill Gemma and take responsibility if it were to be found. In Shadowfell, he is given the sword Hardshine by Beverly.

When the Band meets Alanis in the Feywild, she reveals more of Balnor's story. She tells the group that Balnor is from the Feywild, but a future version of the plane that only existed after evil had triumphed. In this future timeline, Balnor lived in a small village with his wife and son, Bobby. Alanis determined that Balnor would be the perfect companion for the Band of Boobs, but he refused to take on the role when asked. Balnor believed that he was not strong enough, skilled enough, or brave enough to help. However, Bobby was killed in a raid on Balnor's village, which devastated him. After this tragedy, Balnor dedicated himself to learn to fight and agreed to help Alanis. She wiped his memory and introduced him to the Band through a card in the Deck of Many Things, while under disguise as a traveling gnome named Thrifty Schwifty.

It is revealed in, that Balnor is the missing piece in the Band of Boobs quest, saving Beverly from the guns during the battle on Snot's Yacht, and stabilized Moonshine in the same battle, without him, they would have died.

## Abilities

### Campaign 1

#### Titan of Bahumia Ability

Given by The Divine Heart

* ***Chronal Shift.*** Balnor has the 2nd Level Chronurgy Wizard ability *Chronal Shift.*
	+ You can magically exert limited control over the flow of time around a creature. As a reaction, after you or a creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can force the creature to reroll. You make this decision after you see whether the roll succeeds or fails. The target must use the result of the second roll. You can use this ability twice, and you regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

### Level 20 2 Shot with Jasper William Cartwright

*During the level 20 2 shot with Jasper William Cartwright, Balnor was rebuilt into a 20th Level Purple Dragon Knight with the Shield Master feat. He did **NOT** have these abilities in the 1st Campaign proper. He was a Champion fighter in Campaign 1.*

#### Shield Master (Feat)

*You use shields not just for protection but also for offense. You gain the following benefits while you are wielding a shield:*

* If you take the Attack action on your turn, you can use a bonus action to try to shove a creature within 5 feet of you with your shield.
* If you aren't incapacitated, you can add your shield's AC bonus to any Dexterity saving throw you make against a spell or other harmful effect that targets only you.
* If you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, interposing your shield between yourself and the source of the effect.

### Purple Dragon Knight Abilities

#### Level 3 Ability

* Rallying Cry
	+ When you use your Second Wind feature, you can choose up to three creatures within 60 feet of you that are allied with you. Each one regains hit points equal to your fighter level, provided that the creature can see or hear you.

#### Level 7 Ability

* Royal Envoy
	+ Proficiency and expertise in Persuasion. (can be used to get other proficiencies)

#### Level 10 Ability

* Inspiring Surge
	+ When you use your Action Surge feature, you can choose one creature within 60 feet of you that is allied with you. That creature can make one melee or ranged weapon attack with its reaction, provided that it can see or hear you.
	+ *Starting at 18th level, you can choose two allies within 60 feet of you, rather than one.*

#### Level 15 Ability

* Bulwark
	+ You can extend the benefit of your Indomitable feature to an ally. When you decide to use Indomitable to reroll an Intelligence, a Wisdom, or a Charisma saving throw and you aren't incapacitated, you can choose one ally within 60 feet of you that also failed its saving throw against the same effect. If that creature can see or hear you, it can reroll its saving throw and must use the new roll.

#### Level 18 Ability

* Inspiring Surge Improvement
	+ You can choose two allies within 60 feet of you, rather than one.

## Quotes

* "I'm horned up and killin' folks."
* "Being your knight was the greatest honor."
* “It takes ten minutes to suffocate in the bag.”

## Trivia

* Murph has claimed on the short rest that he had planned Balnor's backstory long before it was revealed, specifically that he was sent by Alanis to help the Band of Boobs, though originally Balnor was supposed to be a robot and his story was rewritten at the last minute.
* Balnor loves tuna sandwiches, oatmeal, and mustard (as long as the mustard isn't too spicy)
* Balnor's son is reportedly named "Bobby" after the son from the TV show "King of the Hill"
* Behind the scenes, Emily Axford and the others believed that Balnor is from the pre-World War I Austro-Hungarian Empire, although Murph has repeatedly denied this theory.
* Before his backstory was revealed, Balnor claimed to feel like he originated from "within this universe", but "maybe not from this planet". This proved to be a blow to the Austria-Hungary theory.
* Balnor had a bit of a thing for Moonshine, repeatedly calling her his girlfriend despite her protests, after the two shared a kiss when escaping from a pair of succubi. He appears to have gotten over her.
* Has pooped into space.
* Loves pounding Bud Heavies.
* Does squats to get pumped, but doesn't get much depth due to tight dad muscles.
* Forgot to fight in Episode 61 ... #WhereWasBalnor?
* In Episode 65, it is revealed that Balnor had been fighting with a weak training sword before he was given Hardshine by Beverly.
* In an alternate reality one-shot Balnor was killed by Funky Kong, and subsequently reincarnated as Balnor Kong. In this timeline he does not return home and save his village, as he is too ashamed by being a Kong.
* In an alternate reality one-shot (Brisbane, 2023), Balnor's last name was revealed to be Marque.
* Balnor is severely allergic to dogs.

## References

1. ↑ Episode 22: The Elemental Chaos (Tales From the Crick)
2. ↑ Episode 65: Ashes to Ashes (The Shadowfell Saga)
3. ↑ Episode 51: The Nannerfly Effect (A Faerie Tale)
4. ↑ Episode 97: Titans of the Realm (The Chosen Saga)