character Development, Exalted Radiant Servant of Pelor [Archive] - Wizards Community

character Development, Exalted Radiant Servant of Pelor [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
strenoth
01-11-07, 02:33 AM Ok, first of all the game is on a website (rpol.net) so the character description is easy to see, and helps others get a feel for the character, so I would like help developing that, as well as his personality.

name: Saule Divus
race: Human
Class: Cleric5/RSoP5
Alignment: Exalted NG
Age: 30, but appears 20 (Gestalt game, other class entirely played to supplement cleric stuff, happens to radically reduce aging rate)
Stats: Wisdom highest, then CHA, rest of the stats pretty much even.

Focus: His feats all basically tie into healing or turning, plus "initiate of Pelor", a modified version of Initiate of Lathander (same base ability, modified spells).

I haven't really detailed his history much, though I have some basic ideas: Raised in the local temple of Pelor by his cleric father and Paladin mother, both still actually alive and doing well (Gasp! it can't be! A heroic figure with out a tragic past? :-P ), and over all his life has been good, with most of his challenges (He is level 10) ranging from helping out folk who come to the temple, to doing good works inside the city.

Highlight moments from his past involve some ghouls in the sewer (slightly detailed below), and just before game-start, he ran into a burning tavern to help pull folks out, saved lives, healed people there, etc.

Now, he's a nice guy, compassionate, Brave if with little practical experience in physical combat (never mind the +3/4 BaB.. he just practiced with the paladins a lot), definitely more on the merciful side of good, less on the smity-smite stuff, though certainly not afraid to break out the wrath of Pelor.

I guess I'm just feeling he's a little, mm, flat. Not quite 2D, but could certainly use a bit more depth. Meh. Sometimes it's just easier to flesh out characters who aren't supposed to be so close to perfect. Well, read on, give me some feedback on how to flesh him out better please.

Current Description:

Saule is a tall, slenderly built but well toned human with wavy, silver hair falling down slightly past his shoulders and intense, piercingly blue eyes. Stronger and more agile than the average person, Saule's true grace comes from the aura of calm that he seems to always posses, sure in his actions and at peace in his heart, and the benign smile that springs readily to his lips.

The holy symbol of Pelor lies prominently displayed over the clerical vestments that partially cover his gleaming breastplate, and he carries both a Morning Star and a shield for those rare occasions he needs to resort to such things.

He can often be found tending to the injuries of those who come seeking Pelor's aid, or traveling to meet those who can not come to the temple. And when the time comes, he's always willing and able to bring the heavenly wrath of the sun itself down upon those whose dark deeds require it.

Game Posts describing his past:

“Oh no, not at all. I was actually having fun listening to your banter. You two seem to have been traveling together for quite a while it seems.” He smiled and shrugged his shoulders at that. “I haven’t done quite as extensive traveling as you have. I’ve pretty much been a city boy, but I’ve found enough around here to keep myself occupied. The city is pretty much safe from any one deliberately trying to conquer it, but occasionally the pure randomness of some of the connections to other realms can introduce interesting elements. I had to take care of a small pack of ghouls that had wandered into the tunnel system once, and got separated from the others before I found the ghouls.”

[some other responses]

“Pelor is a god of light, and I can channel his radiance. Undead and other entities of negative energy react quite poorly to bursts of life-energy. As positive energy both in healing form and to combat undead has been the focus of my studies and meditations, they were quickly taken care of. If they had been more potent Ghasts, I may have been in more serious trouble.”

A random game posts which show a little of his temperament:

[after having healed some one recently bruised in a brawl]
"No payment is needed, I am not acting on behalf of the temple, but if you should happen to provide donations to a Church of Pelor, or ever desire to come in and listen to a sermon, it would certainly be appreciated." He grinned at them as he gave his little obligatory promotion of his deity. "I thank you for the offer however."
Jaisin
01-11-07, 10:46 PM 1) RPoL is great.

2) If your DM allowed you to take the PrC at level 6 rather than 7 (9 Skill Ranks necessary), good for you!

3) From what you describe, I would take your character to be selfless, benevolent, gentle, and very self aware (poverty of spirit, humility - understanding his place in the world). Play on the combination of those with some internal dialogue in your posts to display that there is at times an internal struggle, and I think you'll do great.

Displaying all of those traits can be boring, but internal dialogue shows that there is more to the character than his actions: - "Saule showed his concern for the crying mother, not in consoling her over the impending fiery death of her husband, but by rushing into the building to save him. In this, he was not like others who would chalk up the man's death to the will of this deity or that. Saving him, healing him, or even miraculously bringing him back from the dead displayed the mercy and compassion of Pelor best to the common people. This single act would endear the village to the Sun God for their entire lives, and enrich it beyon what they could currently conceive. Why am I doing this? It's ludicrous to think that anyone can survive in there! Shamed by the moment of doubt, Saule held his shield above his head to protect it from falling debris, and covered his mouth with his tabard. Already his armor was sweltering, and soon would become hot to the touch. Timbers creaked from the strain of more solid wood yet to be burnt by the blaze, and in a single glance Saule spotted the man, lying beneath some clutter. Flames had begun licking at the man's booted feet, urging the Radiant Servant to quicker action, drawing the man out and holding his limp form against the shining breastplate. With a hiss, the man's face was seared by the hot metal, overwhelmed by the cracking of the floor above. Pelor preserve me! In a mad rush, the beloved cleric dove through the front door only a split second before the entire building collapsed inward on itself. Laying the man on the street before his sobbing wife, Saule peeled away his face from his breastplate. "Ma'am, he's alive by the grace of Pelor. Hold just a moment, and he'll be fine." The divine blessing of the God of the Sun flowed powerfully through his chosen servant, and in an instant the wounds both seen and not seen were simply. . . gone."

Sorry, but I like to write. I think he would definitely be a cool character to play.

Alternately, asking 'why is he a RSoP?' Why Pelor at all? Aside from what he does, what does he wish to accomplish? Is there a larger, more measurable goal than proselityzing all of Oerth? Is he disillusioned with his home church at all? Pleased with its progress yet have a differing idea on how people should be treated or entreated to 'join'? Perhaps he is radical in thinking that Pelor's healing hand can be distributed amongst all peoples and not just some. Maybe his goal is to walk in the footsteps of a mighty paladin of Pelor that his dad told him stories about when he was younger. Weapons of Legacy has a longsword that is dedicated to Pelor - maybe recovering or restoring such an artifact would be his contribution to the church or city as a whole.

Some of the best ways to get into a character are to have a huge goal, a couple of large ones, and clear steps on how to start them. Play rolls out the context and the progress itself, if your DM is worth his salt, but having a reference point allows for the character to make decisions - "will helping out this merchant caravan really help lead me to finding this artifact, or will it simply distract me from my goal?" or "Undead are always worth detering my path - Pelor, in his grace, will make up for any lost time we might suffer while exterminating this undead menace." Little things like that will certainly help.

Re-read the description of the Radiant Servant, and also look through the Book of Exalted Deeds on 'Playing Exalted Characters'. You've probably read it a dozen times, but going back over it, I'm positive that you'll find something new to add to your character.

Also, if you know what city-state he is from, do a little online research on Fyrundy (sorry not a Greyhawk fan) or wherever on common traits its people are known for. Adopt one, and reject two others - going against that grain will spawn many great RP opportunities for you when interacting with NPC's, they'll not get all that they expect, but they will stereotype some (again, if you've got a competent DM).

Hope that helps.

-J
strenoth
01-12-07, 02:48 AM Re: 2) whoops, heh, i was going from memory for that and I'm actually 6/4, used to entering classes after 5th level. :)

The setting is actually some what multi-planar, to complicated to bother getting into here, but it's not specifically Greyhawk. It's quite possible he coudl even run into a cleric of lathander and have a rather interesting discussion (they'd probably consider whether they worshiped the same god but with different names, then after a while, decide 'no', but that they should be allies). anyway, tired, so babbling.

I think your advice will help a lot, presentation is a lot, and has given me somethign to think on. Thank you. Will work on him some more when not tired.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
strenoth 01-11-07, 02:33 AM	Ok, first of all the game is on a website (rpol.net) so the character description is easy to see, and helps others get a feel for the character, so I would like help developing that, as well as his personality. name: Saule Divus race: Human Class: Cleric5/RSoP5 Alignment: Exalted NG Age: 30, but appears 20 (Gestalt game, other class entirely played to supplement cleric stuff, happens to radically reduce aging rate) Stats: Wisdom highest, then CHA, rest of the stats pretty much even. Focus: His feats all basically tie into healing or turning, plus "initiate of Pelor", a modified version of Initiate of Lathander (same base ability, modified spells). I haven't really detailed his history much, though I have some basic ideas: Raised in the local temple of Pelor by his cleric father and Paladin mother, both still actually alive and doing well (Gasp! it can't be! A heroic figure with out a tragic past? :-P ), and over all his life has been good, with most of his challenges (He is level 10) ranging from helping out folk who come to the temple, to doing good works inside the city. Highlight moments from his past involve some ghouls in the sewer (slightly detailed below), and just before game-start, he ran into a burning tavern to help pull folks out, saved lives, healed people there, etc. Now, he's a nice guy, compassionate, Brave if with little practical experience in physical combat (never mind the +3/4 BaB.. he just practiced with the paladins a lot), definitely more on the merciful side of good, less on the smity-smite stuff, though certainly not afraid to break out the wrath of Pelor. I guess I'm just feeling he's a little, mm, flat. Not quite 2D, but could certainly use a bit more depth. Meh. Sometimes it's just easier to flesh out characters who aren't supposed to be so close to perfect. Well, read on, give me some feedback on how to flesh him out better please. Current Description: Saule is a tall, slenderly built but well toned human with wavy, silver hair falling down slightly past his shoulders and intense, piercingly blue eyes. Stronger and more agile than the average person, Saule's true grace comes from the aura of calm that he seems to always posses, sure in his actions and at peace in his heart, and the benign smile that springs readily to his lips. The holy symbol of Pelor lies prominently displayed over the clerical vestments that partially cover his gleaming breastplate, and he carries both a Morning Star and a shield for those rare occasions he needs to resort to such things. He can often be found tending to the injuries of those who come seeking Pelor's aid, or traveling to meet those who can not come to the temple. And when the time comes, he's always willing and able to bring the heavenly wrath of the sun itself down upon those whose dark deeds require it. Game Posts describing his past: “Oh no, not at all. I was actually having fun listening to your banter. You two seem to have been traveling together for quite a while it seems.” He smiled and shrugged his shoulders at that. “I haven’t done quite as extensive traveling as you have. I’ve pretty much been a city boy, but I’ve found enough around here to keep myself occupied. The city is pretty much safe from any one deliberately trying to conquer it, but occasionally the pure randomness of some of the connections to other realms can introduce interesting elements. I had to take care of a small pack of ghouls that had wandered into the tunnel system once, and got separated from the others before I found the ghouls.” [some other responses] “Pelor is a god of light, and I can channel his radiance. Undead and other entities of negative energy react quite poorly to bursts of life-energy. As positive energy both in healing form and to combat undead has been the focus of my studies and meditations, they were quickly taken care of. If they had been more potent Ghasts, I may have been in more serious trouble.” A random game posts which show a little of his temperament: [after having healed some one recently bruised in a brawl] "No payment is needed, I am not acting on behalf of the temple, but if you should happen to provide donations to a Church of Pelor, or ever desire to come in and listen to a sermon, it would certainly be appreciated." He grinned at them as he gave his little obligatory promotion of his deity. "I thank you for the offer however."
Jaisin 01-11-07, 10:46 PM	1) RPoL is great. 2) If your DM allowed you to take the PrC at level 6 rather than 7 (9 Skill Ranks necessary), good for you! 3) From what you describe, I would take your character to be selfless, benevolent, gentle, and very self aware (poverty of spirit, humility - understanding his place in the world). Play on the combination of those with some internal dialogue in your posts to display that there is at times an internal struggle, and I think you'll do great. Displaying all of those traits can be boring, but internal dialogue shows that there is more to the character than his actions: - "Saule showed his concern for the crying mother, not in consoling her over the impending fiery death of her husband, but by rushing into the building to save him. In this, he was not like others who would chalk up the man's death to the will of this deity or that. Saving him, healing him, or even miraculously bringing him back from the dead displayed the mercy and compassion of Pelor best to the common people. This single act would endear the village to the Sun God for their entire lives, and enrich it beyon what they could currently conceive. Why am I doing this? It's ludicrous to think that anyone can survive in there! Shamed by the moment of doubt, Saule held his shield above his head to protect it from falling debris, and covered his mouth with his tabard. Already his armor was sweltering, and soon would become hot to the touch. Timbers creaked from the strain of more solid wood yet to be burnt by the blaze, and in a single glance Saule spotted the man, lying beneath some clutter. Flames had begun licking at the man's booted feet, urging the Radiant Servant to quicker action, drawing the man out and holding his limp form against the shining breastplate. With a hiss, the man's face was seared by the hot metal, overwhelmed by the cracking of the floor above. Pelor preserve me! In a mad rush, the beloved cleric dove through the front door only a split second before the entire building collapsed inward on itself. Laying the man on the street before his sobbing wife, Saule peeled away his face from his breastplate. "Ma'am, he's alive by the grace of Pelor. Hold just a moment, and he'll be fine." The divine blessing of the God of the Sun flowed powerfully through his chosen servant, and in an instant the wounds both seen and not seen were simply. . . gone." Sorry, but I like to write. I think he would definitely be a cool character to play. Alternately, asking 'why is he a RSoP?' Why Pelor at all? Aside from what he does, what does he wish to accomplish? Is there a larger, more measurable goal than proselityzing all of Oerth? Is he disillusioned with his home church at all? Pleased with its progress yet have a differing idea on how people should be treated or entreated to 'join'? Perhaps he is radical in thinking that Pelor's healing hand can be distributed amongst all peoples and not just some. Maybe his goal is to walk in the footsteps of a mighty paladin of Pelor that his dad told him stories about when he was younger. Weapons of Legacy has a longsword that is dedicated to Pelor - maybe recovering or restoring such an artifact would be his contribution to the church or city as a whole. Some of the best ways to get into a character are to have a huge goal, a couple of large ones, and clear steps on how to start them. Play rolls out the context and the progress itself, if your DM is worth his salt, but having a reference point allows for the character to make decisions - "will helping out this merchant caravan really help lead me to finding this artifact, or will it simply distract me from my goal?" or "Undead are always worth detering my path - Pelor, in his grace, will make up for any lost time we might suffer while exterminating this undead menace." Little things like that will certainly help. Re-read the description of the Radiant Servant, and also look through the Book of Exalted Deeds on 'Playing Exalted Characters'. You've probably read it a dozen times, but going back over it, I'm positive that you'll find something new to add to your character. Also, if you know what city-state he is from, do a little online research on Fyrundy (sorry not a Greyhawk fan) or wherever on common traits its people are known for. Adopt one, and reject two others - going against that grain will spawn many great RP opportunities for you when interacting with NPC's, they'll not get all that they expect, but they will stereotype some (again, if you've got a competent DM). Hope that helps. -J
strenoth 01-12-07, 02:48 AM	Re: 2) whoops, heh, i was going from memory for that and I'm actually 6/4, used to entering classes after 5th level. :) The setting is actually some what multi-planar, to complicated to bother getting into here, but it's not specifically Greyhawk. It's quite possible he coudl even run into a cleric of lathander and have a rather interesting discussion (they'd probably consider whether they worshiped the same god but with different names, then after a while, decide 'no', but that they should be allies). anyway, tired, so babbling. I think your advice will help a lot, presentation is a lot, and has given me somethign to think on. Thank you. Will work on him some more when not tired.