Donovan Mirinik needs some fine tuning in the personality department. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Donovan Mirinik needs some fine tuning in the personality department. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Karish
04-17-07, 12:01 PM Oddly enough, usually the backstory is what I have difficulty with, not the resulting personality. For some reason, the correct way to "play" Don is deciding to go bye-bye in my head.

Basically, I'm gonna tell you guys Donovan's backstory, and a little bit about him mechanically. I'm asking you guys to help me come up with Donovan's attitude, way of speaking, and maybe some mannerisms or traits he should have to give him character.

I'm also not sure what he looks like, except that I want him to be a fairly handsome human man with the appropriate build relating to his statistics (High Dex, medium Str, low Con tells me a lean and slightly muscle toned shape, but skinnier and sort of pale in color because of his health).

Background:
Donovan was born to Ezekal and Aria Mirinik, a pair of young lovers who had recently wed. Ezekal was a local militiaman for the village of Therin, and Aria was a traveling sorceress who had fallen for Ezekal and settled down when she met him.
The oddity in Donovan's birth was that he was conceived under a set of strange circumstances. Ezekal's home was "haunted" by spirits, though the fae variety as opposed to the undead. In addition, while Aria was pregnant, she made contact with these fae and befriended them, providing them with sweets and small trinkets she made in return for their being more benevolent towards her new family and home. They agreed, and in doing so a sort of bond formed with this family; it is suspected by Aria and her son, Donovan, that the near-constant presence of the chaotic magics fae employ led to the development of his abilities.
Donovan was, for the most part, an ordinary child. He was a little prone to illness, but was a very agile boy despite. However, some other parents (and because of this, their children) viewed Donovan with suspicion. The adults because he came from a mage's womb and a haunted house; the children because of how their parents reacted to his presence.
While this caused Donovan to have a significantly small number of friends for the bulk of his childhood, he took comfort in what few friends he had--mainly village girls, due to the development of becoming rather attractive, and not being as competitive and physical as other boys--and his family life, where his mother saw the development of rudimentary powers similar to, but not quite akin to her own.
Ezekal died of illness one winter when Donovan was a young man. He too nearly succumbed to this illness, but managed to survive the winter with help from a greiving mother's desperate need to keep her son. When he was better, he took responsibility as the man of the house, and lived this way until he was about seventeen.
Aria had assisted Donovan with the development of his powers, until they became apparent one summer in training. While trying to teach him his first combat spell, acid splash, Donovan accidentally overdid himself, and a bolt of dark, chaotic energy fled from his fingertips. An eldritch blast. Shocked by this strange power, and recalling the lore she had once heard of warlocks and their power, Aria was both pleased for Donovan's accomplishment, and worried for his safety. Regardless of the overall good morality of her son, she knew his gift was not well accepted, and that if he remained in the village, he may enter a world of conflict which would see him burned at the stake!
With this in mind, Aria and Donovan spent two years largely in secret, saving money and preparing to send him off to find a home for himself. Donovan, remembering his mother's calling, selected the life of an adventurer, donning his father's coat and a dagger crafted specifically for him by the smith in town and setting out on his own.

Current Situation:
Donovan lives away from home, travelling from place to place in search of adventuring opportunities. Worried that he may bring too much attention to himself, Donovan tends to try and pass himself off as a non-magic class when questioned, and leaves his past a well-guarded secret, bluffing a vague answer or staring down any questions regarding it.

Mechanics:
Donovan Mirinik, CG Human Warlock 1
Str: 13, Dex: 16, Con: 8, Int: 15, Wis: 10, Cha: 18.
Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Spellcraft.

Donovan carries a dagger, and wears a pair of specialty dastana fitted to his bone armor jacket. He dresses in black almost entirely, save for the bleached white-yellow of the bone that is stitched to the leather of his coat (in the pattern of a spine, ribs at the sides, and stips of bone over the chest) and used as buttons or the buckle of his belt, in addition to rather basic and universal adventuring equipment.

---

Well, there you have it. Remember: Any advice on how to make his personality, any habits/quirks/traits, and any opinions as to what to make him look like.

Thank you in advance. ^_^
Alex_Belinsky
04-18-07, 03:28 PM First, I think, PC's outfit barely help him not to bring too much attention to him.:)
He can pass as wandering juggler/performer/acrobat - as much as d20 mechanics allow dual life for 1st level PC. Several tucked daggers can enhance juggler disguise.
IMO Donovan isn't noisy boasting type at all. He prefer watch and hear, probably feigning attention and helpfulness to any who trying to approach him. Only if this disguise fails he reverts to intimidation, enhanced by occasional eldritch blast. "Blast! I, mighty warlock, have enough of you!" If both ruses fails, he probably run. In friendly company he probably act more openly, but still preferring quick tongue to his magic. Soft-spoken and friendly in peace and persistent at war.
P.S. Sorry for my poor english.
Mr.Atheist
04-18-07, 03:44 PM I'm with Alex; his clothes seem a bit outlandish. Dark spellcasters love them bones, but there's a time and place.

I'd play him as one who doesn't grow to trust easily, and is slightly paranoid. Considering his life was ripped away from him because of his powers, he probably has some dislike of them, or at least of anyone who thinks they may be evil.
If you are into the whole body-gesturing role-playing thing, I'd consider wearing a cloak and staying concealed under it often. And look over your shoulder a bit.
So he'd be a hard person to get to know. But if someone does get to know him, he should really open up and show them what a great person he is (charisma 18 has to come in somewhere).
Karish
04-19-07, 06:55 PM The whole bone motiff works in the setting because wearing bone armor is a common trait in undead hunters as well as dark mystics in this world. Necromancers and such tend to wear more... Elaborate designs in this game. Some of them being small bones pierced into the skin even. He uses the undead hunter thing as an escape plan I think.

But yeah, I can see the whole not big and talky like. I like the not very trustworthy and out of the way thing, but I'm not sure if he'll be more suspicious or deceitful, so I'll try both out before the session tomorrow in private and see which is more fluid to play.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Karish 04-17-07, 12:01 PM	Oddly enough, usually the backstory is what I have difficulty with, not the resulting personality. For some reason, the correct way to "play" Don is deciding to go bye-bye in my head. Basically, I'm gonna tell you guys Donovan's backstory, and a little bit about him mechanically. I'm asking you guys to help me come up with Donovan's attitude, way of speaking, and maybe some mannerisms or traits he should have to give him character. I'm also not sure what he looks like, except that I want him to be a fairly handsome human man with the appropriate build relating to his statistics (High Dex, medium Str, low Con tells me a lean and slightly muscle toned shape, but skinnier and sort of pale in color because of his health). Background: Donovan was born to Ezekal and Aria Mirinik, a pair of young lovers who had recently wed. Ezekal was a local militiaman for the village of Therin, and Aria was a traveling sorceress who had fallen for Ezekal and settled down when she met him. The oddity in Donovan's birth was that he was conceived under a set of strange circumstances. Ezekal's home was "haunted" by spirits, though the fae variety as opposed to the undead. In addition, while Aria was pregnant, she made contact with these fae and befriended them, providing them with sweets and small trinkets she made in return for their being more benevolent towards her new family and home. They agreed, and in doing so a sort of bond formed with this family; it is suspected by Aria and her son, Donovan, that the near-constant presence of the chaotic magics fae employ led to the development of his abilities. Donovan was, for the most part, an ordinary child. He was a little prone to illness, but was a very agile boy despite. However, some other parents (and because of this, their children) viewed Donovan with suspicion. The adults because he came from a mage's womb and a haunted house; the children because of how their parents reacted to his presence. While this caused Donovan to have a significantly small number of friends for the bulk of his childhood, he took comfort in what few friends he had--mainly village girls, due to the development of becoming rather attractive, and not being as competitive and physical as other boys--and his family life, where his mother saw the development of rudimentary powers similar to, but not quite akin to her own. Ezekal died of illness one winter when Donovan was a young man. He too nearly succumbed to this illness, but managed to survive the winter with help from a greiving mother's desperate need to keep her son. When he was better, he took responsibility as the man of the house, and lived this way until he was about seventeen. Aria had assisted Donovan with the development of his powers, until they became apparent one summer in training. While trying to teach him his first combat spell, acid splash, Donovan accidentally overdid himself, and a bolt of dark, chaotic energy fled from his fingertips. An eldritch blast. Shocked by this strange power, and recalling the lore she had once heard of warlocks and their power, Aria was both pleased for Donovan's accomplishment, and worried for his safety. Regardless of the overall good morality of her son, she knew his gift was not well accepted, and that if he remained in the village, he may enter a world of conflict which would see him burned at the stake! With this in mind, Aria and Donovan spent two years largely in secret, saving money and preparing to send him off to find a home for himself. Donovan, remembering his mother's calling, selected the life of an adventurer, donning his father's coat and a dagger crafted specifically for him by the smith in town and setting out on his own. Current Situation: Donovan lives away from home, travelling from place to place in search of adventuring opportunities. Worried that he may bring too much attention to himself, Donovan tends to try and pass himself off as a non-magic class when questioned, and leaves his past a well-guarded secret, bluffing a vague answer or staring down any questions regarding it. Mechanics: Donovan Mirinik, CG Human Warlock 1 Str: 13, Dex: 16, Con: 8, Int: 15, Wis: 10, Cha: 18. Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Spellcraft. Donovan carries a dagger, and wears a pair of specialty dastana fitted to his bone armor jacket. He dresses in black almost entirely, save for the bleached white-yellow of the bone that is stitched to the leather of his coat (in the pattern of a spine, ribs at the sides, and stips of bone over the chest) and used as buttons or the buckle of his belt, in addition to rather basic and universal adventuring equipment. --- Well, there you have it. Remember: Any advice on how to make his personality, any habits/quirks/traits, and any opinions as to what to make him look like. Thank you in advance. ^_^
Alex_Belinsky 04-18-07, 03:28 PM	First, I think, PC's outfit barely help him not to bring too much attention to him.:) He can pass as wandering juggler/performer/acrobat - as much as d20 mechanics allow dual life for 1st level PC. Several tucked daggers can enhance juggler disguise. IMO Donovan isn't noisy boasting type at all. He prefer watch and hear, probably feigning attention and helpfulness to any who trying to approach him. Only if this disguise fails he reverts to intimidation, enhanced by occasional eldritch blast. "Blast! I, mighty warlock, have enough of you!" If both ruses fails, he probably run. In friendly company he probably act more openly, but still preferring quick tongue to his magic. Soft-spoken and friendly in peace and persistent at war. P.S. Sorry for my poor english.
Mr.Atheist 04-18-07, 03:44 PM	I'm with Alex; his clothes seem a bit outlandish. Dark spellcasters love them bones, but there's a time and place. I'd play him as one who doesn't grow to trust easily, and is slightly paranoid. Considering his life was ripped away from him because of his powers, he probably has some dislike of them, or at least of anyone who thinks they may be evil. If you are into the whole body-gesturing role-playing thing, I'd consider wearing a cloak and staying concealed under it often. And look over your shoulder a bit. So he'd be a hard person to get to know. But if someone does get to know him, he should really open up and show them what a great person he is (charisma 18 has to come in somewhere).
Karish 04-19-07, 06:55 PM	The whole bone motiff works in the setting because wearing bone armor is a common trait in undead hunters as well as dark mystics in this world. Necromancers and such tend to wear more... Elaborate designs in this game. Some of them being small bones pierced into the skin even. He uses the undead hunter thing as an escape plan I think. But yeah, I can see the whole not big and talky like. I like the not very trustworthy and out of the way thing, but I'm not sure if he'll be more suspicious or deceitful, so I'll try both out before the session tomorrow in private and see which is more fluid to play.