Post/Author/DateTime	Post
SaberXtreme 06-10-07, 01:14 PM	Hey guys, This is the background I've come up with so far. Would you all help me flesh it out a bit and pick a Patron Diety (and Alignment) based on the information below. I've never played a FR campaign before this one so please correct any mistakes I've made. Kerrick Evenstride is from the Dalelands, more specfically Deepingdale. He is a Ranger of the wilds, roaming about the lands in an effor to protect its people's from harm. He learned his trade from his half-elven ranger Father and his "Uncle" Bellion, a elven rogue. Apparently the two were quite the adventuring pair in their younger days. Having now settled down, his Father is a sergeant in the local Militia. Bellion is one of the local magistrate officials. Kerrick finds time to visit his parents and Uncle whenever possible. He spends a good deal of his time protecting the people of the Dales from the Drow who have taken up residence in the old Elven Kingdom of Cormanthor. This ranges from ambushing small warbands to small scale raids with the other like-minded defenders of the land. Kerrick is always willing to lend aid to those who need it, although he definately inherited his father's dour demeanor. The local folk appreciate his willingness to help and his softspoken demeanor.He generally only trusts those who are very close to him, and although outsiders generally find him helpful, most describe him as quiet at best, unfriendly or cold at worst. Kerrick would much rather be in the wild alone than surrounded by people. In fact, Large crowds make him more than a bit uncomfortable. Kerrick doesn't have many close friends, though an untold number of denizens of the Dalelands can call him ally and protector. Being one-quarter Elven he enjoys the Elven Culture and Crafts though he isn't so haughty about their superiority as some of his more full-blooded brethren. He believes the bounty of natue should be used, but not to the point of waste or destruction. He thinks that everyone has a right to peace and happiness. He believes those who would subjugate, murder, or otherwise harm another person for their own ends is evil, and he has absolutely no qualms about killing such an individual. He has seen the destruction the drow have wrought, and to Kerrick the Drow represent absolute evil.
SaberXtreme 06-10-07, 04:18 PM	All those views and No Responses? I think i've decided on Solonor Thelandira as Kerrick's Patron diety. I'm not sure what his alignment should be though. He could really be anywhere from neutral to Chaotic Good. Which do you think fits best?
EpicEvokerElf 06-10-07, 10:11 PM	Sounds like NG to me. Sorry I don't know FR gods, though.
BroadStreetBully 06-11-07, 03:38 AM	while i've read quite a few FR novels, i haven't read much about Elminster/the Dalelands. so, while i'm familiar with alot of the generalities, i can't help you on specifics. as far as your background goes, i don't know if you're looking to just make a quick sheet of paper you hand your DM because he requires it, or if you want a sense of who your character is, or what. for a short critique, the background reads a bit like a cliche. while that's not necessarily bad, especially if you want something the DM won't question with and you're just looking for a playable character, there's absolutely nothing wrong with tried-and-true. On the other hand, if you want the character to be distinctly yours, and not just another loner-ranger-with-a-benevolent-attitude, get into some details man! For instance, get more specific with your father and uncle. Maybe they peeved-off the wrong mage at some point earlier and you have to be wary of a spellcaster looking to get back at them. Perhaps they, being of the roguish variety, went out of their way to embarass and destabilize the local nobility. How would that reflect on you, would that be a source of motivation for staying in the woods and avoiding civilization? Or perhaps at one point your character ran off some orcs (or drow, in your case) who were attacking a gnomish caravan. Most of the gnomes were killed, and when the local militia arrived on the scene, it was you and 6 dead midget-merchants with no dark-skinned elves to blame it on. The other sweet part about character backgrounds is it doesn't matter how powerful your character is! Granted, writing in things about fighting ancient dragons is a bit over-the-top and unbelievable, but most regular people have 1-3 levels in NPC classes, and "tough" NPCs in most modules are around 5th-6th level. That means you can put combat, ambushes, sneaking & stealing, allies, contacts, a source of income, or whatever into the background without really having to bother apologizing. So don't worry about having to say "I'm starting at only level 4, could my character have really single-handedly fought off 8 orcs at level 2 and saved the baron's daughter"? Who cares, it gives you (and the DM) something to work with that will carve your character into his own little niche in the campaign. And should your character die, it's always cool to make a new character, with a similarly detailed background, who finds out from NPCs about your deceased character because he did something significant before the campaign even started.
SaberXtreme 06-11-07, 08:52 AM	Thanks! That was really helpful. I appreciate it BroadStreetBully.
BroadStreetBully 06-11-07, 03:39 PM	no problem, hope the campaign goes well!