Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Stormbrand 12-14-06, 11:40 PM	Hi Interested in playing a blackguard, but am not sure how to put some personality into him. Maybe I am too nice a person in real-life, but I can't get a feel for how a true villain would act generally. So anyone with blackguard concepts (preferably not ex-paladins), I would be very grateful for hearing them. General backgrounds and personalities, and how they operate. Thanks.
JulesCARV 12-15-06, 12:12 AM	The Earnest, Dutiful Champion of Evil: She was raised in a very pious family dedicated to Hextor/The Dark Six/Bane/whatever, and her parents encouraged her to be the most evil person she could be, encouraging her to torture animals, bully other children, etc. Ever since she was a little girl, she dreamed of being one of those mighty champions of evil, a Blackguard. Some day, she'll fulfill her dream of being a blackguard. Probably not very intelligent (of course, intelligence is a dump stat for blackguards), but very devout, dedicated, and unwavering in her evil faith. The Survivalist Mercenary: He grew up in a time of constant poverty, turbulence and war, doing whatever he could to survive and become powerful, facing starvation, slavery, and the like. A deal with a fiend seemed like the best way to achieve power and protect himself, escaping from the hardships that had dominated his life, so he made one. He isn't the type to torture people just for fun, but he's supremely callous, so if torturing, murdering, and the like will give him more wealth and power, he'll do it. Someday, he'd like to retire, leaving war and violence behind and living a life of ease, decadence, and luxury in some type of villa, but he's always paranoid that he'll lose everything he has and be reduced to the levels of hardship he endured as a boy, so he never feel like he has enough. Spoiled, Rich Fratboy: Mommy and daddy are very rich, and he's been able to do some pretty heinous things in his life (a bit of shoplifting, a bit of vandalism, a bit of raping drunken girls, a bit of beating up hobos for the thrill), and mom and dad's connections have always gotten him off the hook. He thinks making a deal with a fiend would be fun, and it has some forbidden thrill. He figures that, as with all the other evil things he's done, his parent's connections will somehow get him off the hook from paying eternal consequences for this. Very arrogant, and thinks he's above any rules, probably even those of the evil force he serves. Honor-obsessed Avenger: Once, he came from one of the greatest noble houses of the land, but his house was on the losing side of a dynastic civil war. His family's lands, estates, and titles were stripped and granted to the allies of the victors. He is very upset about this terrible injustice, and will do anything -- anything -- to restore his noble house to its proper place, and win revenge on those who stripped his family of their rightful posessions and humiliated them. If that takes a devil's bargain, so be it: the injustice of the status quo cannot go unavenged. I'll post more if I can think of them.
Invoker47 12-15-06, 03:34 AM	In the Birthright campaign I play in, my DM mentioned something about druid/blackguards. I can only imagine what that character would be like.
Werrwaaa 12-15-06, 07:33 PM	Maybe you can be motivated by the benevolence of an evil power. Perhaps you or your family was starving or suffering from a deadily plauge when a fiend offered to save you/them is return for service. So long as you do what youre asked, your family lives happy and healthy, and in exchange for something like that, you gleefully doing wicked deeds knowing they are safe.
darksamuari 12-16-06, 12:02 AM	Alrigth this one is a big one.... What about one of the simplest ways, Love. Say he was a simple farmer who loved a girl out of his village. War broke between his people and the Orcs and he signed up to be a soldier in the army. He climbed to a high position during his military career and one night he heard about how his home town was attacked by the enemy and many of the villagers were taken hostage. The army sends him with a small regiment to scout out the village and if possible attempt a rescue mission. He and his men reached the village and he viewed that the enemies sacrificed one of the hostages nightly to Orcus. That night he sees his love is being tied to the sacrificial table and being treated for the sacrifice. He tried to persuade his men to attack and stop the sacrifice but they opposed. They said that they were too small in numbers to face the Orcs, and told him they should go back to headquarters to gather more men for a later. He fiercely disagreed and called them cowards and weak for not trusting his leadership; dismissing them for such an act done towards him. And so he was left with himself to save his one true love. He prayed to all the gods who he could think of but none met with replay. He panicked as the Orcs cleaned their holy daggers and prepared for the event. Out of fear, anger, and love he called on an aid of a fiery demon. The creature from the land of fire heard his pleads and agread to help him, with one exception. If the demon let the soldier's love not be hurt, then he binds over his eternal soul for the demon. The soldier desperately accepted as he watched his love. Suddenly a fire was shot into the ground near the orcs and then leapt from one orc to another. In no more then a couple of seconds the orcs were scorched, with his love untouched. The Soldier was ecstatic with joy and began to walk near his love when she was suddenly engulfed in blue fire. As his eyes watched his love was encased in a blue jewel of fire and taken by the demon. The soldier was overtaken with confusion and anger, falling to his knees. He looked up at the demon only to see him laughing and watching at his new slave. The soldier looked at his hands and started to see them be enveloped in black and bone. He cried out as his soul was stripped from him and his essence twisted into a demon knight. The soldier now walks the fires of the underworld equally with the mortal world with an aura of sadness and anger completing what the demon would wish of him. In all of his missions he acts with of sadness. The soldier is depressing soul. Locked in possession by a treacherous demon, he has no way of escape as his soul is bound to the demon and the only way to break the vile contract is to harm his love, which he can let himself or no one else do. He is a slave too darkness and too love.
Stormbrand 12-17-06, 03:42 PM	The Earnest, Dutiful Champion of Evil: She was raised in a very pious family dedicated to Hextor/The Dark Six/Bane/whatever, and her parents encouraged her to be the most evil person she could be, encouraging her to torture animals, bully other children, etc. Ever since she was a little girl, she dreamed of being one of those mighty champions of evil, a Blackguard. Some day, she'll fulfill her dream of being a blackguard. Probably not very intelligent (of course, intelligence is a dump stat for blackguards), but very devout, dedicated, and unwavering in her evil faith. The Survivalist Mercenary: He grew up in a time of constant poverty, turbulence and war, doing whatever he could to survive and become powerful, facing starvation, slavery, and the like. A deal with a fiend seemed like the best way to achieve power and protect himself, escaping from the hardships that had dominated his life, so he made one. He isn't the type to torture people just for fun, but he's supremely callous, so if torturing, murdering, and the like will give him more wealth and power, he'll do it. Someday, he'd like to retire, leaving war and violence behind and living a life of ease, decadence, and luxury in some type of villa, but he's always paranoid that he'll lose everything he has and be reduced to the levels of hardship he endured as a boy, so he never feel like he has enough. Spoiled, Rich Fratboy: Mommy and daddy are very rich, and he's been able to do some pretty heinous things in his life (a bit of shoplifting, a bit of vandalism, a bit of raping drunken girls, a bit of beating up hobos for the thrill), and mom and dad's connections have always gotten him off the hook. He thinks making a deal with a fiend would be fun, and it has some forbidden thrill. He figures that, as with all the other evil things he's done, his parent's connections will somehow get him off the hook from paying eternal consequences for this. Very arrogant, and thinks he's above any rules, probably even those of the evil force he serves. Honor-obsessed Avenger: Once, he came from one of the greatest noble houses of the land, but his house was on the losing side of a dynastic civil war. His family's lands, estates, and titles were stripped and granted to the allies of the victors. He is very upset about this terrible injustice, and will do anything -- anything -- to restore his noble house to its proper place, and win revenge on those who stripped his family of their rightful posessions and humiliated them. If that takes a devil's bargain, so be it: the injustice of the status quo cannot go unavenged. I'll post more if I can think of them. Excellent, thank you. This character doesn't really have a dump-stat. Honour-obsessed avenger seems the most what I am looking for. The only part less than beautiful is that I am trying to avoid a priviledged upbringing. Maybe he could have become affiliated with a merchant house after having originally served as one of their guard, then moved on to little assignments of covert shadow warring between the rival powers and was accepted into the merchant house proper? Thus his near fanatical loyalty. In the Birthright campaign I play in, my DM mentioned something about druid/blackguards. I can only imagine what that character would be like. Wierd really. Although you can REALLY make Wild Shape nasty between full BAB and Sneak Attack in a form with Improved Grab (sneak attack damage on all your hits against the grapplee). Personality-wise, I can think of Malar's druids who revel in the hunt and kill. Bloodlust tends to define them, with their magic mostly supplying stealth and secrecy while they rip things apart with weapons or wild shape. Talassian druids? Lots and lots of lightning. Destroy things. Civilisation mainly, revel in the harm nature can do. Think old celtic druids and their sacrifices. Mainly focus on killing things. The only quibble is that a blackguard must consort with beings that defy nature. Maybe you can be motivated by the benevolence of an evil power. Perhaps you or your family was starving or suffering from a deadily plauge when a fiend offered to save you/them is return for service. So long as you do what youre asked, your family lives happy and healthy, and in exchange for something like that, you gleefully doing wicked deeds knowing they are safe. Simple enough. Makes sense. Although perhaps too much of a grey area, whereas I am looking to make the character downright pitch. Here is my paradox, I want the character to be likeable and the kind of foe you could respect, but I want there to be no doubt that he is evil with a very large E. Thanks by the way. Alrigth this one is a big one.... What about one of the simplest ways, Love. Say he was a simple farmer who loved a girl out of his village. War broke between his people and the Orcs and he signed up to be a soldier in the army. He climbed to a high position during his military career and one night he heard about how his home town was attacked by the enemy and many of the villagers were taken hostage. The army sends him with a small regiment to scout out the village and if possible attempt a rescue mission. He and his men reached the village and he viewed that the enemies sacrificed one of the hostages nightly to Orcus. That night he sees his love is being tied to the sacrificial table and being treated for the sacrifice. He tried to persuade his men to attack and stop the sacrifice but they opposed. They said that they were too small in numbers to face the Orcs, and told him they should go back to headquarters to gather more men for a later. He fiercely disagreed and called them cowards and weak for not trusting his leadership; dismissing them for such an act done towards him. And so he was left with himself to save his one true love. He prayed to all the gods who he could think of but none met with replay. He panicked as the Orcs cleaned their holy daggers and prepared for the event. Out of fear, anger, and love he called on an aid of a fiery demon. The creature from the land of fire heard his pleads and agread to help him, with one exception. If the demon let the soldier's love not be hurt, then he binds over his eternal soul for the demon. The soldier desperately accepted as he watched his love. Suddenly a fire was shot into the ground near the orcs and then leapt from one orc to another. In no more then a couple of seconds the orcs were scorched, with his love untouched. The Soldier was ecstatic with joy and began to walk near his love when she was suddenly engulfed in blue fire. As his eyes watched his love was encased in a blue jewel of fire and taken by the demon. The soldier was overtaken with confusion and anger, falling to his knees. He looked up at the demon only to see him laughing and watching at his new slave. The soldier looked at his hands and started to see them be enveloped in black and bone. He cried out as his soul was stripped from him and his essence twisted into a demon knight. The soldier now walks the fires of the underworld equally with the mortal world with an aura of sadness and anger completing what the demon would wish of him. In all of his missions he acts with of sadness. The soldier is depressing soul. Locked in possession by a treacherous demon, he has no way of escape as his soul is bound to the demon and the only way to break the vile contract is to harm his love, which he can let himself or no one else do. He is a slave too darkness and too love. Good, I will remember this for something else when I need a tragic figure. Sadly, it runs the other direction to what I have in mind. To clarify, the character is not yet a blackguard, he is a fighter in the process of earning the favour of the dark powers. Currently he is gaining Vile feats such as Dark Speech and so on to gain a few spell-like abilities. Becoming a blackguard is going to require some serious effort on his part. So we go with Honour-obsessed Avenger, having earned his way into a merchant house. So how would he of begun his mercenary/military career to begin with? Where did he first gain his combat training? If I can avoid making a seperate thread for it, where in his background did he learn his Fighter class to begin with.
Agent Rasp 12-17-06, 08:05 PM	Perhaps, instead of a mercenary who entered a house on merit, this character was instead a second- or third-generation descendant of the original house? That is to say, when the greater house fell, the character's father, uncle, grandfather, or other elder relative escaped to start anew in another land, nursing a grudge and a desire for revenge that would be passed down to the next generation. The elder uses what resources remain to find, raise, train, and outfit the warrior who will serve as the instrument of the family's vengeance on their enemies -thus explaining a fighter with aristocratic heritage, but a spartan upbringing. In the most dramatic version, the blackguard-to-be would have been carried away from the old homeland as an infant, putting a suitably dark spin on the classic "return of the rightful heir" plot. In a less-classic variant, the blackguard was born and raised after the collapse of the family, perhaps one of several in his generation to be trained for this role. Why was he chosen, instead of the others? Perhaps he proved his worthiness by defeating the rest in combat. Maybe the test is still going on, and only he will successfully contact the fiend that will empower him as a blackguard. Perhaps they're all out there at the same time, using different means to reach their common end -in which case some of his kinsmen might appear as allies, and others as enemies. Even individuals striving for vengeance might be appalled at just how far their brother/cousin/etc. has gone in pursuit of that goal.
Griff 12-18-06, 11:43 AM	Possibly an ex-slave/indentured servant. he was the best and brightest and strongest. he took what he needed to survive, he took what he wanted, he hurt those who wronged him, he killed those who were threats, he was eventually elevated into a position of trust by the master of the house... so he killed the family that had kept him enslaved for the years... then left the other slaves to starve/fend for themselves Basically this character has had no-one look out for him or help him or show a shread of passion or care... now he gives back to the world what he has tasted. zero empathy. zero remorse.
AllWillFall2Me 12-18-06, 02:58 PM	Dang it, I made a fairly good description that the internet seems to have eaten. Bullet points: -Dad criminal, killed resisting arrest, kid unaware -Orphan, joins army, displaces rage at loss of family into unrelenting endurance in battle -Recently discovered that the state killed his dad, and is now plotting state's downfall in maniacal overreaction.
Rabiesbunny 12-20-06, 01:28 PM	Or, you could make the Blackguard who doesn't think himself evil at all. My oldest character is a Banite half-elf, who was raised in Loviatar's church after escaping from slavery. Whilst heading north to recruit Loviatans, she ran into a Banite, and became enamoured with Bane. A Blackguard probably won't think she's evil, and sometimes, she might not even seem evil. For example, my character is a wife and a mother, and a good mother at that -- she just has her fun in her torture chamber, and enjoys killing heretics! When my DM showed me the Paladin of Tyranny PRC, I just got rid of Blackguard. The Paladins of Tyranny/Slaughter are better for more Lawful/Chaotic evil warriors anywho! And especially for Lawful ones, if they don't think themselves evil. What evil ever does? Hitler thought he was right, not evil. I suggest going an aborderline LE/LN route, and playing with it from there. Call yourself "Paladin" instead of "Blackguard" even, your PC will get some PRICELESS reactions. The Blackguard would sit on his hands more often than not, looking at LG Paladins who spit on him or call him evil with utter disdain and sadness, because responding to their threats and challenges only makes them right. :3 Think outside the boundaries! He could easily have honor, a sense of strong morals, and be friendly, and still be an extremely good holy warrior for his evil god!
Stormbrand 12-20-06, 03:05 PM	Perhaps, instead of a mercenary who entered a house on merit, this character was instead a second- or third-generation descendant of the original house? That is to say, when the greater house fell, the character's father, uncle, grandfather, or other elder relative escaped to start anew in another land, nursing a grudge and a desire for revenge that would be passed down to the next generation. The elder uses what resources remain to find, raise, train, and outfit the warrior who will serve as the instrument of the family's vengeance on their enemies -thus explaining a fighter with aristocratic heritage, but a spartan upbringing. In the most dramatic version, the blackguard-to-be would have been carried away from the old homeland as an infant, putting a suitably dark spin on the classic "return of the rightful heir" plot. In a less-classic variant, the blackguard was born and raised after the collapse of the family, perhaps one of several in his generation to be trained for this role. Why was he chosen, instead of the others? Perhaps he proved his worthiness by defeating the rest in combat. Maybe the test is still going on, and only he will successfully contact the fiend that will empower him as a blackguard. Perhaps they're all out there at the same time, using different means to reach their common end -in which case some of his kinsmen might appear as allies, and others as enemies. Even individuals striving for vengeance might be appalled at just how far their brother/cousin/etc. has gone in pursuit of that goal. I like the idea of lots of individual 'agents' unaware of each other. Possibly an ex-slave/indentured servant. he was the best and brightest and strongest. he took what he needed to survive, he took what he wanted, he hurt those who wronged him, he killed those who were threats, he was eventually elevated into a position of trust by the master of the house... so he killed the family that had kept him enslaved for the years... then left the other slaves to starve/fend for themselves Basically this character has had no-one look out for him or help him or show a shread of passion or care... now he gives back to the world what he has tasted. zero empathy. zero remorse. Fair enough. Freed slave. Does this assume gladiatorial or would that just be his youth pre-fighter class? Dang it, I made a fairly good description that the internet seems to have eaten. Bullet points: -Dad criminal, killed resisting arrest, kid unaware -Orphan, joins army, displaces rage at loss of family into unrelenting endurance in battle -Recently discovered that the state killed his dad, and is now plotting state's downfall in maniacal overreaction. Fair enough. You did give me the idea of a simple army conscript. Simplest explanation of military exploits, but how would he gain freedom? (I don't see him as the deserter type). Or, you could make the Blackguard who doesn't think himself evil at all. My oldest character is a Banite half-elf, who was raised in Loviatar's church after escaping from slavery. Whilst heading north to recruit Loviatans, she ran into a Banite, and became enamoured with Bane. A Blackguard probably won't think she's evil, and sometimes, she might not even seem evil. For example, my character is a wife and a mother, and a good mother at that -- she just has her fun in her torture chamber, and enjoys killing heretics! When my DM showed me the Paladin of Tyranny PRC, I just got rid of Blackguard. The Paladins of Tyranny/Slaughter are better for more Lawful/Chaotic evil warriors anywho! And especially for Lawful ones, if they don't think themselves evil. What evil ever does? Hitler thought he was right, not evil. I suggest going an aborderline LE/LN route, and playing with it from there. Call yourself "Paladin" instead of "Blackguard" even, your PC will get some PRICELESS reactions. The Blackguard would sit on his hands more often than not, looking at LG Paladins who spit on him or call him evil with utter disdain and sadness, because responding to their threats and challenges only makes them right. :3 Think outside the boundaries! He could easily have honor, a sense of strong morals, and be friendly, and still be an extremely good holy warrior for his evil god! Interesting, but often evil just looks down on morality. Hitler is a bad example to bring up on these boards, I semi-disagree with your point but would prefer not to derail the thread. My take is that a blackguard does not think he is evil, he knows it - he devotes his life to the widespread cause of misery and woe. A blackguard reveres strife and hatred, favours terror and lies as tools, performs blood sacrifices and consorts with fiends.
Jaisin 12-20-06, 05:52 PM	All creatures are liars. They think that the gods bore them out of love, and tout the virtues of trees and stone and honor. Lies are born of lies, and the gods bore men out of boredom, pitting one against another in a meaningless, cosmic struggle to place bets on a predetermined outcome. Elves and their meaningless music, dwarves with their puffed up honor, dragons with their proud majesty. Jokes. To deny themselves the evisceration of their egos, they lie. They lie to themselves, and they lie to others with their words, their appearance, their deeds. All creatures are so used to lying, they have begun to believe in all the lies the other ignorant races are telling. Not me. Not any more. I hate being the butt of jokes, and worse yet the most grand joke that was ever told. Now that I'm in on it, what power do the lies of these creatures hold over me? None. I deserve what they have reaped from their ficticious existence because I know the truth - that they are an experiment spawned of too much power and not enough imagination. I deserve their riches, their fame, their lauding and fawning - because I know. And being the liars that they are, they will pay me and fear me, lest I expose them for what they are to who they want to remain hidden from. I will take it as they grovel for 'mercy'. I will revel in their hatred, because in their fear they realize that its not me they despise, but that part of themselves that they are not strong enough to face, that they are not strong enough to confront and know the truth. Me? I know the truth about myself, and I hate it. I am only strong enough to accept it. Who needs lies when the truth is so potent?