Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Shirosai 11-03-05, 07:37 PM	I guess this goes here? Okay, this is what I have so far, it was done fairly quickly: --- Start of History... Ryuken was always interested in the way of nature and time, watching things age and grow, watching the animals, and watching the trees. He thought many times about becoming one of the druidic order, but always shrugged it off, wanting rather to study and respect nature than to become one with it. He left his village at the age of 18 to pursue his quest to become stronger and expand his knowledge. After spending a few years in the Shilmistra forest, he became very intertwined with the nature around him and unlocked a unique gift that allowed him to nearly become a beast of nature. He found that he could manipulate his own physiology to become that of a hybrid, half-man/half-beast. By the time he left the forest to travel elsewhere, he had perfected his technique, being able to become and sustain the hybrid form for as long as he wished, and be able to revert back to his human form just as easily. After more months of travel he ran into a small group of priests that had run into some mountain bandits. Seeing that the priests wouldn't be able to hold out for long, Ryuken decided to aid them and converted himself into his wolf-like hybrid form. After dealing with the bandits the priests were thankful, healing Ryuken's wounds and making him feel more powerful and healthy than he had ever before felt. It was at that moment that he realized that he wanted to expand his knowledge even further, into the realm of the divine magicks. He travelled with the priests for a month before leaving in search of his own path. --- End of History. Alright, I've never been that good at making detailed, in depth histories, so I could use a bit of help. Based on what you read there, could someone help me make it any better...? It's pretty crappy right now... Okay, really crappy, but that's why I could use some help. :D My character's name is Ryuken Zan, and he's a neutral, human cleric of the philosophies nature and time. I mean for him to be fairly cynical and stubborn, normally trying to analyze situations before jumping in. (Hopefully... this kind of helps.) Thanks. (For the hybrid ability thing, it's sort of like the Chosen of Deneir's shape shift ability.)
Uberwoot 11-03-05, 08:26 PM	My question is, where (mechanically) did you pick up said shapeshifting ability? It's good and well to have a story involving the acquisition of an ability, but if your character doesn't have it the story does you no good. Your story does have one seeming contradiction in it- Ryuken decides he wants "to study and respect nature [rather] than to become one with it," but then proceeds to become intricately intertwined with it in order to unlock the abovementioned shapeshifting ability. What caused this? If he was so engrossed in nature, what about his encounter with the bandits made him want to largely change his focus? The best way to learn to write more detailed character backgrounds is to ask difficult questions about a character. The more questions you answer in a consistent fashion, the more you know about the character.
Shirosai 11-03-05, 08:55 PM	Well mechanically I gained the shape changing ability based on one of my philosophiocal faiths, nature. I wanted to try to integrate that into my history, rather than just say I have it, guess I did a horrible job. XD Maybe I could say that Ryuken used the vast knowledge of nature he aquired in the Shilmistra forest to use/unlock? his shape changing power? Any ideas? Maybe Ryuken, while staying for years in the Shilmistra forest, partially figured out how to manipulate a piece of nature to affect him...? I wanted Ryuken to be interested in gaining power and knowledge, which is why he decided to become a Cleric, after seeing the divine power of the priests he wanted to be able to mimic what they could do, but surpass them as well. He wanted to somehow derive this power from the things around him, from time, nature, and space itself, rather than from a deity. I wanted to try and do this without becoming a druid. Ryuken doesn't want to become one with nature, rather he wants to find out exactly how nature exists and functions, what is the cause of it, what value does it have, etc. It seems I did totally contradict myself in my own character's history, damn. :D Hm... Does any of that help? Do I contradict myself yet again? I'll try and revise my current history to make more sense, but while I do that any more ideas to how I could improve it would be great. Thanks.
Shirosai 11-03-05, 09:26 PM	Okay, new version, hopefully it makes a bit more sense than the first. ---Start of History... Ryuken had always been interested in both nature and time. How they affected the world was interesting to him, but what he really wanted to know was how exactly they worked. He had thought many times about joining the druid order, but shrugged it off, not wanting to become one with nature, rather wanting to know why and how it exists. He left his small village at the age of 18 to pursue his dream of becoming stronger and more wise to the workings of the universe. His journey brought him to the forests of Shilmistra, where he stayed for many years, learning what he could about the workings of the forest around him. As the years passed Ryuken partially figured out how to actually manipulate a part of nature to affect him directly. He used his knowledge to alter his physiology into that of a wolf, while retaining many human-like qualities. By the time he decided it was time to leave the forest in search of further knowledge, he had perfected his manipulation so well he was able change into his wolf-human hybrid with minimal effort, and sustain it for as long as he wished, just as easily reverting back to his original human form. A few months after Ryuken had left the Shilmistra forest, he ran into a small group of priests while travelling through the Snowflake Mountains. The priests were under attack by a group of highwaymen and, as Ryuken could clearly see, were losing. After a moment of consideration, Ryuken decided to aid the priests, thinking it the perfect time to test his new ability in battle. After a short battle the bandits were defeated and the priests had only suffered one casualty. Eager to show their thanks, the priests used their power of healing to recharge Ryuken's strength and vitality. Ryuken, amazed at the power, decided then and there that he wanted to expand his knowledge of this divine power and attempt to mimic it, using not the power of a great deity, but the power of time, nature, and space itself. Ryuken travelled with the priests for a month, learning all he could, before he left in search of his own path. ---End of History.
Uberwoot 11-03-05, 09:35 PM	When I said mechanically, I meant more... where in the game rules does it specify you can gain this ability? Is it the result of a homebrewed version of the cleric, or just an ability your DM decided to grant you? What sacrifices did you have to make to attain it? The sacrifices needed to obtain such an ability can be part of the history behind your character. For example, if it's a version of the cleric that you changed to wear lighter armor and not be able to turn undead in exchange for the ability to wildshape into a wolf hybrid (a la lycanthrope, even though this modification sounds suspiciously like a druid), you can say that without formal clerical training, his prolonged meditations in the woods brought him into contact with some of the more majestic and serene woodland beings, including a Chauntean- errr, well, nature-deity-worshipping dryad who taught him a few basics about transformation and accessing divine power. Still, the most important part is to have these questions in mind. Well, that and making sure it makes sense. :)
Shirosai 11-03-05, 10:06 PM	*cough* Well technically I was allowed this ability in exchange for not being gestalt in a party of gestalt... But your home-brewed cleric works far better. :D Anyway, for the shape change ability that my character gets he has to choose one animal that he would be able to partially transform into. He would have the ability to thereafter transform into a human-beast hybrid of the animal chosen, kind of like a lycanthrope but without any of the special lycanthrope qualities. ie: DR (More like the Chosen of Deneir template's shape change ability) And yeah, after reading how I got the shape changing ability over again... I see that it doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense. :D I guess I should work on it longer than five minutes this time, eh? Thanks for the help. ^_^
Shirosai 11-04-05, 02:37 PM	As I examined what I want my character to be, I realized that it seems, like you kind of noted, a lot like a druid. The only reason I don't want my character to be one is the fact that I'm not entirely sure I would know how to play one well. I don't like the "uber" nature about them. I want my guy to be pretty much like what I tried to describe in previous posts, would I be able to do this as a druid? How they derive their power from the things around them seems almost exactly like what I want, but I'm not sure. Would it be possible to play a druid like I wanted to play my cleric..? I realize I would have to rewrite a history to suit the druid a bit better, but I was planning on rewriting it anyway. I won't be able to go into serious detail right now, since I'm at school and kind of rushed, but when I get home I'll put some more time into a possible druid history. *goes to look at "Character Class: Druids with Class"* :D A last note: My group doesn't seem to go into forests and nature rich areas too often, we are more of ruin, mountain, and dungeon people. This is another reason I don't think I could play a druid well, unless I'm missing something about them, which I probably am. :D (Yes, I like that smiley. ^_^)
Uberwoot 11-04-05, 05:11 PM	Try playing a druid who wants to bring life and growth to even the darkest, foulest of places. He will do what he can when he can to plant some new life in a place where it seems inaccessible. Even an abandoned castle is not wholly impossible for life- after all, the vines that encase it surely thrive. Carry around seeds of various plants that would survive in difficult places like dungeons; every once in a while, when the situation allows for it, bust out a wall for the sunlight to come in and plant something that has a chance of growing. The flourishing of life is nature's greatest triumph. Also, if you're playing in a gestalt campaign- try a gestalt druid/ranger. The gestalt combination seems weak, but it allows for a lot of animal companions, or one very powerful one, and a character who is heavily improved in melee combat. In addition, you could try the druid/barbarian- big hit dice, fast movement, and rage for when you wild shape. Both allow for a much simpler personality than a gestalt druid/sorceror or something to that effect.
Shirosai 11-06-05, 01:18 AM	Okay, I've decided that my character is going to be a druid, but I think I'm going to try a different race. How would an anthromorphic bat druid play? Would it be difficult? Anyway, here is the revised druid version of my cleric history. Again, not the best, so tips are welcome, especially tips concerning areas that are confusing or parts I may have left out. ---Start of History... Ryuken, being part beast himself, had always been interested in both nature and time. How they affected the world was interesting to him, but what he truly wanted to know was how exactly they worked. Because of this interest he decided to leave his small village in search of answers, among other things. His journey brought him to the forests of Shilmistra, where he stayed for many years, learning what he could about the workings of the forest around him. During his stay he learned much, meditating in the forest, trying to get it to explain to him it's secrets. For awhile he suspected he was being watched, but never could he have imagined by a dryad, a mystical being of the forest. The dryad, who never revealed her true name to Ryuken, came to trust him, not a easy thing to make a dryad do. The dryad subtly taught Ryuken many things he didn't know about the forest, and even more about the ancient magic surrounding it. After a few months of this, the dryad suddenly stopped visiting Ryuken. At first he thought something to be wrong, but then realized that the dryad probably had more interesting things to do, and shrugged it off, taking it as a sign that it was his time to leave the forest and venture to new places. A few months after leaving the Shilmistra forest, Ryuken ran into a group of bandits, while travelling along the snowflake paths. Knowing bandits were not known to let their victims leave with their lives, Ryuken used what the dryad had taught him to tap into the power of nature, using it to aid him in defeating the bandits, calling to the elements and summoning fire from thin air, and even persuading the trees themselves to entangle some of the bandits. Amazed at the potential power that nature could grant him, he decided then and there than he would follow the druidic order, but in his own way, learning as much as he could and increasing his power. After another year's travel, Ryuken met up with a strange group when taking a break in the Lazy Dragon... ---End of History. The last sentence is just a short section on how I meet up with the other members of the party. I realize it doesn't include a lot to suggest that I'm an ABat, but I had no clue on whether I should focus more on that fact, or just write it like I was a normal character.
Uberwoot 11-06-05, 11:37 AM	I have no particular knowledge of how an anthropomorphic bat plays. It seems to me your history as written is quite good- for a human or half-elf, or any other character race that is not culturally tied to nature (as his history seems to indicate that simply living in his home would not provide the answers he sought). Good luck.
Shirosai 11-06-05, 06:24 PM	Yeah, I initially wrote the history for a human becoming a druid, but then decided to try and see how it could work for an ABat, since they seemed like an interesting race to try and play. My main concern is how other races and people would react to him(if he were an ABat), say if he were in a populated town. Edit: Yeah, forget it. I'll just go with my initial plan and make him a human. I have absolutely no idea how to play an ABat, so until I find out more about them I'll just steer clear. Thanks for the help.