Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ksbsnowowl 03-01-06, 07:46 PM	I've recently started a new game with a new group, and I'm playing a rogue for the first time. He is an exiled city-boy, and for the mean-time we are set in a much more rural and forested setting. I will be second level at the start of the next session, and the DM is going to be building us towards the new 'Red Hand of Doom' adventure. Rhonon is a CN (internal struggle - will eventually return to Good) human Rogue 2. Here is the recent request from my DM:I want to get your character more involved in the game. I know we're in a wilderness setting but would like some ideas of what you want your character to be able to do or participate in. Let me know and I can weave his goals into the plot. We will probably have our first large scale encounter next session - or it could be a recon mission - just let me know.Here was the initial character background I gave to my DM prior to our last two sessions of gaming:Rhonon was a city kid through and through. His parents worked jobs at various inns and taverns, making just enough above their living expenses that they were able to enjoy a few small luxuries in addition to their fully bellies. Being the good son he was, Rhonon was eager to help his parents save their money, so at 17 he took a job that paid better than being a barkeep, and accepted the small amount of risk involved in being a temporary member of the watch during a shortage the city suffered concerning the availability of such workers due to some political posturing on the part of a minor noble. When Rhonon showed a natural intuition for putting together the facts after a robbery, his superiors saw fit to promote and train him in the hopes of making a suitable investigator of him. The promising career of this young recruit was altered by one of the men placed in charge of his last stages of training. Borrington taught Rhonon more forceful ways of getting information, and soon Rhonon was getting information even from those who did not wish to provide any. The extent of this influence didn’t show its full force until after Rhonon had left Borrington’s training. When an investigation led Rhonon to the nephew of the city magistrate, his interrogation got out of hand, and the next day he was expelled from the watch. Although not told flat out that he was to leave the city, Rhonon did not wish to push his luck. He set out to settle elsewhere, but now he grows tired with this small town he has called home for the past few years, and he now looks for an excuse to get involved in something that will take him from Windling toward more excitement.The DM introduced my character as a stand-in member of town council overseeing a trial concerning a gnomish tinkerer acidentally burning down the town smith's home. The gnome must rebuild the house, and had hired the PC's to negotiate with the druid of the nearest forest to gain suitable wood (the area surrounding the new town was in short supply of lumber), and my character came along as an emisary of council to make sure all went well. In the course of finding the Druid, we found evidence that goblinoids had begun trapping within this protected forest, and when the party druid learned the druid of the forest had lost his druidic powers, the forest was turned over to the protection of our party druid as the fallen druid set out to seek atonement. That is basically where we left off, and some woodworkers from the town will be arriving to do a limited amount of logging, just enough to rebuild the smith's home. At the moment I am stuck for motivations of this character in this more wilderness setting. At fourth and fifth levels I may take two levels of Ranger, though I've not made up my mind about it thus far. Any ideas for motivations, even short one-liners that may spark my imagination, would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and this is a 3.5 game, despite what my sig says.
cypherx 03-01-06, 08:50 PM	greed is a good motivator, a reputable name to redeem yourself is another, perhaps you are wrestling with your inner demons (heck, maybe literally, talk to the dm),
ksbsnowowl 03-04-06, 07:39 PM	No one else? :(
Fithero 03-04-06, 08:03 PM	perhaps he is actually more at home in the wilderness but just never had a chance to explore it due to his city life. Now that he is out adventuring, he might be interested in taking up a more *forresty* approach to life. Im thinking that scout could be better for the character than ranger. Rangers have actually got a divine connection to nature where as scouts just work in it, they're not connected to it at all. But it sounds like a cool character. Later
stranger_654 03-05-06, 03:23 AM	Maybe sheer boredom is a good motivator? He has been in this small country town for a few years now, and from personal experience, NOTHING EVER happens in a small country town, so instead of leaving, hes going to embrace the country? Just my two coppers
Sir Todd 03-05-06, 12:35 PM	Motivation? Simple (and keeping it simple at it's core is what makes motivations work better): His motivation could be 'he wants to solve mysteries or crimes'. Mysteries is a broader catagory and makes it easier to adventure. Crimes does limit you a little but is a bit more solid to your brief background. Touching on personality and alignment: Your character was trained in torture apparently and when the chips are down (no other leads) is willing to use that training. Clearly by your background torture is an accepted method where he is from. But nobles are exempt from it and you crossed that line. So his career took a nose dive. Now he is stuck working in a back country town for a tiny town council. You said you want to turn him good later. So perhaps he sees this as a good thing. A fresh start away from the nobles that caused him his troubles. He probably feels bad after his first session of torture and wants to avoid it. Finding more humane methods to gather info. Possible play tips: Play him as a city big shot. He was someone who was going places... ok maybe his status took a nose dive, but he still has an impressive resume for the back country setting. He probably feels he can still make something big happen for himself in this more rural place. He might use his authority with the council to solve local crimes or mysteries. Thereby increasing his local status. Of course this assumes you developed social skills. But a good detective should have social skills :) His goal might be to solve things. And it sounds like your GM is willing to build the plot around your PC. So use that and the GM will probably toss a crime or mystery hook onto many of your adventures. Have fun solving them with your impressive skills. And live in the admiration of the locals who might come to see you as a big shot after you solve a couple. Which is it's own adventure hook as more and more people come to YOU to solve their problems.