Advice on developing my character concepts [Archive] - Wizards Community

Advice on developing my character concepts [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Skyblazer
10-09-06, 05:11 PM I'm about to start a new campaign, I have two concepts for characters. As the title states, any criticisms or ideas you might have would be welcome.

Concept 1:
Human Psion/Pyrokineticist/Elocator
This character beleives (wrongly) that he is a pyromaniac. While it is true that he is totally fascinated with fire, he feels no urge to light fires. His intrest in fire is purely scientific, and one of his favorite activities is to calculate how fast fires will spread in buildings and how fast a person will be consumed. He will make these observations whenever he encounters a new type of building or creature. During his youth, he was deeply traumatized by a temple to a good-aligned deity in his home city burning down, beleiving that his musings on the structure's flamability were somehow responsible. This was only confirmed in his eyes when he discovered he was a psion with the ability to control fire (through a first level power, I forget the name). He now adventures for a living, seeking to atone for his "crime" by using this power to destroy evil creatures.

Sample quotes:

"A kobold. Highly flammable. In a chain shirt. I wonder how long it will take to burn?"

"Fascinating. The mithril actually melted in the fire."

"BURN, ABOMMINATION!!!"

Concept 2
Fighter/Occult Slayer
In his youth, this character lived in a bustling metropolis while undertaking training as a fighter. However, when he was barely twenty, an epic spell duel leveled most of the city. He was one of the few survivors, and was left with an overwhelming hatred of wizards. But the greater effect of this tragedy was far more devastating. As one of the few survivors of his city, he had to help in the restoration of the city, which involved throwing the hundreds of mutilated corpses the wizards had created into unmarked mass graves. This left him with a keen apprectiation of the consequences of actions. Because he needed to support himself, he took a job as an adventurer, but he is always careful to "clean up" any "mess" he creates, so no one else has to.

Sample quotes:
"Don't make too much of a mess when you die. Do you know how difficult it is to get blood out of these rugs?"

"We can't fight here. The collateral damage will be too high. Think of the years of hard work that will be required to repair the damage of a minute of thoughtless destruction."

"Every action has a consequence. The table you smashed? A week for the carpenter to replace. The door will be half that. The glasses have to be imported from the south. And it will be months before the snow melts and the pass opens up again, so the herbalist can replace the medicines that just cushioned your fall. The cost in gold to fix this mess could buy off the constable you so ineptly tried to assasinate. And now, you're going to get your blood all over my new clothes.
Drohem
10-09-06, 05:26 PM While I like both concepts, I would pick #2. They are both well thought out, but I particularly like the concept of every action as a consquence, and especially that a fighter type has that kind of wisdom. It breaks the sterotype of dumb fighter guy.
Cherubaddon
10-09-06, 06:37 PM If I would lean towards Concept #2, it would be because I do not like Psionics. Still, both concepts are awesome, and I prefer the first one's quotations.
Have fun with whomever you pick!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Skyblazer 10-09-06, 05:11 PM	I'm about to start a new campaign, I have two concepts for characters. As the title states, any criticisms or ideas you might have would be welcome. Concept 1: Human Psion/Pyrokineticist/Elocator This character beleives (wrongly) that he is a pyromaniac. While it is true that he is totally fascinated with fire, he feels no urge to light fires. His intrest in fire is purely scientific, and one of his favorite activities is to calculate how fast fires will spread in buildings and how fast a person will be consumed. He will make these observations whenever he encounters a new type of building or creature. During his youth, he was deeply traumatized by a temple to a good-aligned deity in his home city burning down, beleiving that his musings on the structure's flamability were somehow responsible. This was only confirmed in his eyes when he discovered he was a psion with the ability to control fire (through a first level power, I forget the name). He now adventures for a living, seeking to atone for his "crime" by using this power to destroy evil creatures. Sample quotes: "A kobold. Highly flammable. In a chain shirt. I wonder how long it will take to burn?" "Fascinating. The mithril actually melted in the fire." "BURN, ABOMMINATION!!!" Concept 2 Fighter/Occult Slayer In his youth, this character lived in a bustling metropolis while undertaking training as a fighter. However, when he was barely twenty, an epic spell duel leveled most of the city. He was one of the few survivors, and was left with an overwhelming hatred of wizards. But the greater effect of this tragedy was far more devastating. As one of the few survivors of his city, he had to help in the restoration of the city, which involved throwing the hundreds of mutilated corpses the wizards had created into unmarked mass graves. This left him with a keen apprectiation of the consequences of actions. Because he needed to support himself, he took a job as an adventurer, but he is always careful to "clean up" any "mess" he creates, so no one else has to. Sample quotes: "Don't make too much of a mess when you die. Do you know how difficult it is to get blood out of these rugs?" "We can't fight here. The collateral damage will be too high. Think of the years of hard work that will be required to repair the damage of a minute of thoughtless destruction." "Every action has a consequence. The table you smashed? A week for the carpenter to replace. The door will be half that. The glasses have to be imported from the south. And it will be months before the snow melts and the pass opens up again, so the herbalist can replace the medicines that just cushioned your fall. The cost in gold to fix this mess could buy off the constable you so ineptly tried to assasinate. And now, you're going to get your blood all over my new clothes.
Drohem 10-09-06, 05:26 PM	While I like both concepts, I would pick #2. They are both well thought out, but I particularly like the concept of every action as a consquence, and especially that a fighter type has that kind of wisdom. It breaks the sterotype of dumb fighter guy.
Cherubaddon 10-09-06, 06:37 PM	If I would lean towards Concept #2, it would be because I do not like Psionics. Still, both concepts are awesome, and I prefer the first one's quotations. Have fun with whomever you pick!