Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Janus Rook 08-17-04, 04:43 AM	Has anyone ever played as a mentally deficient character. I have always wanted a roleplaying challenge and came up with this when I read about the Spirit Shaman class in the Complete Divine tell me if you think this will work. (i.e. if my Dm should allow it). Here's his background: This story begins with a farmer and his wife. This farmer's name was Othar and his wife's name was Amalia. They toiled all day in the fields and at night would pray for a child as both were getting quite old. Then one day Amalia discovered she was pregnant (by conventional means of course). Both her and Othar were overjoyed and 9 months later a son was born. They named him Jak, and he was the only thing that mattered to them. Sadly, however Jak drowned when he was 6 in the cattles' watering hole. This led to depression of the worst kind for his parent's. Both became horrible drunks, spending days at the local tavern. It was during this time Amalia became pregnant again. This pregnancy though she didn't care to leave her drunken stupor. Later, she would die in childbirth. Othar named the child Gau, after Amalia's father and swore that this time would be different. For the first four years of Gau's life he was treated much the same way Jak was, however, it became readily apparent that Gau was different from other children. He fidgeted without reason, he found it difficult to speak and worse yet he couldn't remember simple commands. Ashamed Othar hid Gau in the cellar. Occasionally Othar would try to teach Gau how to function in the world. More often it came to shoutings of "No don't do that!", "Can't you remember what I just showed you!" and "Why couldn't you have been more like Jak". More often than not lessons would become beatings and days without seeing his father. On one such absence Gau nearly died from a severe eye infection caused by an open wound left by his father. This was when Gau was 14. This was when Gau first saw his only friend. In the haze brought about by his fever a small hare appeared to Gau. This hare told him to eat some mold that had grown on his bread rations. Gau did as instructed and within a few days had recovered from his illness. The hare would at times appear to Gau after that and give him advice. Soon Gau learned the hare's name; Jak. Gau was overjoyed and told his father, Othar responded with frustration and anger. "Don't ever use that name with me, your not half the son Jak was!" Over the next few months Gau's beatings would get worse and Jak's visits would become more frequent. Till one day Othar came homefar more drunk than usual and beat Gau into unconciousness. This was to be the final straw. When Gau awoke bloody and bruised Jak appeared. "Follow me" was all the hare had to say and Gau obeyed. Once outside Gau wanted to wash up the blood. So he walked to the watering hole. Jak immediately stopped him. "No, that place is best left alone, I know somewhere else not far from here." Jak led Gau into the woods to a small creek. There Gau washed up and slept. When Gau awoke he found himself surrounded by fey. They giggled and laughed and teased. Gau found all of this very amusing, as he hadn't laughed since he was young. It was at that instant he found his wounds healed physically and emotionally. Rumours still persist of a young boy that lives in the fey's woods. I'm still trying to figure out a reason for Gau to go adventuring. On Jak, I don't know what I'm going to do about him. Is he Gau's brother? or did Gau just make him that way? Or did Jak take on that persona? Is he just a figment of Gau's imagination? I'm not even sure, I think I'll come up with those answers during roleplay. About Gau, I think I'm going to try to hide his mental handicap for as long as possible by making him shy and quiet. Also I'm going to have him act as a child (his mental level) he'll refer to things such as "the bad man" (his dad) "the bad place" (his home). Also I think I'll make him terrifyed of small spaces (although if Jak gives him a good reason to go I'm sure he'll oblige). I'm going to make him assume everyone can see Jak and talk about him as if he were his (non-spiritey) mentor. I'm giving him the claustrophobic (house rule), unreactive (UA) and murky-eyed flaws(UA) to get some feats. Oh and the reason he's retarded, Int 6 (should it be lower?) although he has 17 Wis, how should I role play that?
Kitt-su 08-20-04, 09:28 PM	That story sounds great! I love that Jak is the hare. I'd say Jak is now a kinda quasi-ghost, turned spirit leader. Playing him as you are is pretty good right now, he should probably develop common sense rapidly (high wisdom), but still not be articulate with words and such, I see that in the "Bad man" "bad place" things. Or maybe his high wisdom comes from Jak's constant advisement. Either way I love the background.
Sisyfos 08-23-04, 06:11 AM	That is a very nice background indeed.