Chaotic Neutral Cleric of Erythnul? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Chaotic Neutral Cleric of Erythnul? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
J.Augustus Rose II
12-23-06, 02:58 AM I'll keep this short and sweet: I'm confused on how a Chaotic Neutral Cleric of Erythnul would behave.

I hate the whole "chaotic stupid" thing but I'm not sure how else to go about it. The base idea is that he would be a gladiatorial war-cleric (to cover the slaughter aspect) but I'd really rather not go around stepping on baby souls the rest of my time.

Is this even possible? Any ideas?
Devlonir
12-23-06, 04:56 PM Well, it is best to simply think about what both chaotic and neutral mean for your character.

Let's start with Neutral: It will mean that your character has no bias towards evil or good. Maybe he believes something along the line that the only way to measure one's soul is through the tests of force of arms. He might believe that those that are too weak to defend themselves, have no right to live. Yet he has great respect for strength, no matter if it is good or evil.
Why the god of slaughter than? and not the god of strength? Well like i said, he believes that weak people have no right to live and has no problem killing them if they proove weak.
In play terms, try to always challenge people to a fight, do not try to solve problems talking if fighting is also an option. And never let your adversaries live. If they were defeaten, than they have no right to live. When you are defeated yet let alive, you will bear that shame with you forever.

Than the Chaotic part: You can have a problem with athourity. Thinking that no man who isn't stronger than you has the right to be your better. You will not follow orders from a weaker man, but will respect them if they have proven stronger.
Also, your ideas of strength being the main reason for respect do not fair well with the lawful societies, who exist to protect the weak. Therefore you are naturally inclined to oppose those, hence the chaotic part.
In play terms, never listen to the non combatant classes in your party, or to nobility or other leaders that have not gained renown in combat for that matter. Think their opinions do not matter when it comes to how to handle things. But, have great respect for the warriors in your party. Also, you do respect the destructive power of magic, being a spellcaster yourself. So you will respect mages that use destructive spells most of the time.

I hope this helped you along. Good luck playing this very interesting concept.
PiedmonSama
12-23-06, 08:47 PM Agree with Devlonir. This is basically how I play followers of Chaotic Evil deities, as sort of ultra-cruel Darwinists. They believe that "morality" is a system created only to protect the weak and undeserving, and stifles the natural order. In nature, the strong always dominates the weak---anything otherwise is an aberration.

Of course, with that truth understood, there's nothing to do but try to be one of the strong. And what better way then to assume the prowess of a Patron Deity who understands your goals so much better than whiny Pelor or moralising Heironeus? Sure, Erythnuel or Nerull wouldn't think twice about turning on their own servants, but you wouldn't have it any other way. At least they're honest in their brutality. And isn't it better to reign in hell than serve in heaven?

What I'd do next is think about how my character came to subscribe to this philosophy. Perhaps he grew up in a (LE) community where the authorities abused their power and took advantage of the repressed commoners---and your character simply grew up believing this is how authority should act, without hampering themselves by coddling the weak. Yet simultaneously he came to despise the forces of law that persecuted his family, and thus fled right into the waiting arms of the cult of Erythnuel, who assured him that if he was strong and worthy, Erythnuel would give him the power to make his own laws.

Maybe, to take the opposite tack, he comes from money. Spending his childhood in luxury, but receiving no love from distant parents, he was a spoiled and bitter youth who began to turn his feelings of neglect into a bitter philosophy when he moved on to Academy. Perhaps as an upper classman he became interested in radical, anti-establishment theories and came to see society as a crutch for the weak, directing all his aimless anger at a faceless "other." He was easy prey for the cult of Erythnuel, who indoctrinated him to realise that his problems were all due to spineless beurocrats, simpering beggars, and the rest of society's chattel, and oh what a glorious day it would be when all of that was burned to the ground. (This is the background I went with for a Cleric of Nerull I played in a campaign.)
Aramist
12-25-06, 11:22 PM But don't forget that he does have an occaisonal good streak. Slaughter is his bad streak give him a good one. A strong ally, maybe another cleric, has fallen after taking down 5 of his own foes. This guy will not stand by to let him die, this guy WILL NOT let a good warrior to die in such a manor, give good qualities with the bad.
J.Augustus Rose II
12-27-06, 08:03 AM Wow, you guys really stepped up on this one. There are a lot of really good ideas here. I thank you.
Devlonir
12-27-06, 09:37 AM But don't forget that he does have an occaisonal good streak. Slaughter is his bad streak give him a good one. A strong ally, maybe another cleric, has fallen after taking down 5 of his own foes. This guy will not stand by to let him die, this guy WILL NOT let a good warrior to die in such a manor, give good qualities with the bad.

Yea, you are right there.. he is neutral not evil. He could believe that the best way to test strength is one-on-one. So when someone strong is loosing against overwhelming odds, he will still help them, just to let the strong single person (or small group) live and not let the weak overwhelm strength only by numbers.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
J.Augustus Rose II 12-23-06, 02:58 AM	I'll keep this short and sweet: I'm confused on how a Chaotic Neutral Cleric of Erythnul would behave. I hate the whole "chaotic stupid" thing but I'm not sure how else to go about it. The base idea is that he would be a gladiatorial war-cleric (to cover the slaughter aspect) but I'd really rather not go around stepping on baby souls the rest of my time. Is this even possible? Any ideas?
Devlonir 12-23-06, 04:56 PM	Well, it is best to simply think about what both chaotic and neutral mean for your character. Let's start with Neutral: It will mean that your character has no bias towards evil or good. Maybe he believes something along the line that the only way to measure one's soul is through the tests of force of arms. He might believe that those that are too weak to defend themselves, have no right to live. Yet he has great respect for strength, no matter if it is good or evil. Why the god of slaughter than? and not the god of strength? Well like i said, he believes that weak people have no right to live and has no problem killing them if they proove weak. In play terms, try to always challenge people to a fight, do not try to solve problems talking if fighting is also an option. And never let your adversaries live. If they were defeaten, than they have no right to live. When you are defeated yet let alive, you will bear that shame with you forever. Than the Chaotic part: You can have a problem with athourity. Thinking that no man who isn't stronger than you has the right to be your better. You will not follow orders from a weaker man, but will respect them if they have proven stronger. Also, your ideas of strength being the main reason for respect do not fair well with the lawful societies, who exist to protect the weak. Therefore you are naturally inclined to oppose those, hence the chaotic part. In play terms, never listen to the non combatant classes in your party, or to nobility or other leaders that have not gained renown in combat for that matter. Think their opinions do not matter when it comes to how to handle things. But, have great respect for the warriors in your party. Also, you do respect the destructive power of magic, being a spellcaster yourself. So you will respect mages that use destructive spells most of the time. I hope this helped you along. Good luck playing this very interesting concept.
PiedmonSama 12-23-06, 08:47 PM	Agree with Devlonir. This is basically how I play followers of Chaotic Evil deities, as sort of ultra-cruel Darwinists. They believe that "morality" is a system created only to protect the weak and undeserving, and stifles the natural order. In nature, the strong always dominates the weak---anything otherwise is an aberration. Of course, with that truth understood, there's nothing to do but try to be one of the strong. And what better way then to assume the prowess of a Patron Deity who understands your goals so much better than whiny Pelor or moralising Heironeus? Sure, Erythnuel or Nerull wouldn't think twice about turning on their own servants, but you wouldn't have it any other way. At least they're honest in their brutality. And isn't it better to reign in hell than serve in heaven? What I'd do next is think about how my character came to subscribe to this philosophy. Perhaps he grew up in a (LE) community where the authorities abused their power and took advantage of the repressed commoners---and your character simply grew up believing this is how authority should act, without hampering themselves by coddling the weak. Yet simultaneously he came to despise the forces of law that persecuted his family, and thus fled right into the waiting arms of the cult of Erythnuel, who assured him that if he was strong and worthy, Erythnuel would give him the power to make his own laws. Maybe, to take the opposite tack, he comes from money. Spending his childhood in luxury, but receiving no love from distant parents, he was a spoiled and bitter youth who began to turn his feelings of neglect into a bitter philosophy when he moved on to Academy. Perhaps as an upper classman he became interested in radical, anti-establishment theories and came to see society as a crutch for the weak, directing all his aimless anger at a faceless "other." He was easy prey for the cult of Erythnuel, who indoctrinated him to realise that his problems were all due to spineless beurocrats, simpering beggars, and the rest of society's chattel, and oh what a glorious day it would be when all of that was burned to the ground. (This is the background I went with for a Cleric of Nerull I played in a campaign.)
Aramist 12-25-06, 11:22 PM	But don't forget that he does have an occaisonal good streak. Slaughter is his bad streak give him a good one. A strong ally, maybe another cleric, has fallen after taking down 5 of his own foes. This guy will not stand by to let him die, this guy WILL NOT let a good warrior to die in such a manor, give good qualities with the bad.
J.Augustus Rose II 12-27-06, 08:03 AM	Wow, you guys really stepped up on this one. There are a lot of really good ideas here. I thank you.
Devlonir 12-27-06, 09:37 AM	But don't forget that he does have an occaisonal good streak. Slaughter is his bad streak give him a good one. A strong ally, maybe another cleric, has fallen after taking down 5 of his own foes. This guy will not stand by to let him die, this guy WILL NOT let a good warrior to die in such a manor, give good qualities with the bad. Yea, you are right there.. he is neutral not evil. He could believe that the best way to test strength is one-on-one. So when someone strong is loosing against overwhelming odds, he will still help them, just to let the strong single person (or small group) live and not let the weak overwhelm strength only by numbers.