Post/Author/DateTime	Post
norski_dog 10-21-03, 10:36 AM	Okay, I fell into the most common mistake in roleplying and I now have the most boring human fighter. Suggestions are welcome, Here are some need to knw facts of my character: -Race: Human -Al: Chaotic Good -Cl:Fighter -Quirks: Collects body parts from fallen enemies -Physical: Think porfessional wrestler (that guy that played Sabertooth in X-men) -Weapon of choice: Great Sword (with keen and soon with Improve crit.):ayyyy!:
Mr. VanderMeer 10-21-03, 10:45 AM	What was the mistake? And is he evil? ( I suspect so, looking at his hobby) Do you have any background info, or is this all? My basic advice is; You can make any character interesting.
Morka 10-21-03, 12:03 PM	Originally posted by norski_dog -Quirks: Collects body parts from fallen enemies I hope his fallen ennemies don't include humans. I don't see anything evil of collecting wolf, bear, dragon parts. Even a paladin would eventually wear a dragonscale armor. But if he collects body parts from a human, that makes him really evil. Could he be of some kind of shamanic religion? Give him a little leather bag, and each time he kill an ennemy, he put a part of it inside the bag. He will never separate from his bag, or he will believe to loose his soul. Give him feats like "Iron Will", "Lightning Reflexe", etc, and if he loose his bag, he loose those feats.
Tzor 10-21-03, 01:17 PM	It looks like a good cookie to me. This character is only as boring as you make him. I'm not sure why people assume that collecting body parts from fallen humans is evil. I think it all depends on the body part. Suppose, for example, he took molars ... is a necklace of teeth really an indication of a vile heart? Certanly not good, but not always exceptionally evil. Anway his alignment is "chaotic good." The important part of any cookie is the sprinkes on top. In the case of the character, it's what you put on top of the basic character that makes the character interesting. What's his motivation? What are his likes / dislikes? Does he have anything else of value (monitary or personal) other than his sword? What is his armor? As a fighter he can wear a variety of armor types from the simple breastplate to suits of mail or plate. Each would give a different potential flavr to the character. What does he do with his sword? Don't laugh, the answer is somewhere between "hit with it" and "anything he wants." For example, you can ignore your sword and just bull rush your opponent. You can try to disarm your opponent, using the +4 advantage of your greatsword and another +4 if the opponent has a light weapon. You can sunder the opponent's weapon. These types of "sprinkles" make the cookie. Anything else is just a cookie. The trick to a great character is not some bizzare character or race thing. That only makes an odd looking cookie. It's what you do with that character that makes him interesting.
norski_dog 10-21-03, 01:23 PM	Originally posted by Mr. VanderMeer What was the mistake? And is he evil? ( I suspect so, looking at his hobby) My basic advice is; You can make any character interesting. The mistake is that he can become rather boring to play. No, he's no evil. Collecting body parts may seem like a diabolical act now, in the age of pansy boys, but in many cultures it was perfectly normal to take a token of victory. Vikings, Samuria, Head hunters, and various tribal groups as well. It is a part of human nature to butcher others and stick their severed parts on your victory wall, so I shame continue... evil or good.
norski_dog 10-21-03, 01:25 PM	Thanks Tzor! you wrote your thread as I was writing my angry one, Sorry Tzor. And you are right I did make him I should of thought of it earlier.
PhaedrusXY 10-21-03, 03:28 PM	He sounds like some barbarian levels would fit him perfectly.
Obi-Wan Quixote 10-22-03, 01:00 PM	The one about the medicine bag and trophies is a good one, but I've got a few ideas about that body-part collection thing. If you want to keep away from the gross/evil angle, make sure that he collects something relatively inoccuous, like ears or molars, because marching around with a bag full of legs is just going to get you funny looks. A lot of rituals come to mind with this body-part fetish. Here are my ideas, in no particular order: [list=1] Each year, your fighter must return to the head of his family with his collection of trophies to prove that he is still worthy of the family name. Your figher believes that the spirits of those he slays will haunt him unless their bodies are properly disposed of. He collects his trophies until he next visits a temple of his deity, where buries his trophies to make sure his opponents make it to the afterlife. Your fighter is a folk craftsman. He uses the molars and other small bones to make somewhat grotesque jewelry. Your figher is part of a bounty-hunting organization that requires its members to have a certain number of confirmed kills in a year to maintain good standing. The fighter believes in taking his enemies' strength into himself. After battle, he confiscates whatever is the most powerful part of the enemy. An enemy who heard the figher coming will lose an ear. If your fighter fought against somebody with a particularly vicious kick, your fighter will take a foot, and so on. At an appropriate time, your fighter offers these up to the god of martial prowess with a prayer that his enemies' strengths will become his own. [/list=1]
Trydan 10-23-03, 02:16 PM	Some ideas: Maybe he's looking for a particular skull or something to replace the pommel on his sword? Perhaps he's quite literate and carries about a book of anatomy. Every kill gives him a chance to study. Maybe he has a curse from some necromancer. He doesn't know why he has this obsession, but he just has to keep collecting dead things. Perhaps it is the sword that is doing it. It could be an intelligent weapon. Hope that helps...
Ceoilte 10-24-03, 12:52 PM	You could always go at it from a Celtic kind of view point. (Taking heads.) He believes the skull houses the soul, so by taking the heads of his enemies he's actually honouring them for they're skill and valour.
VirgilCaine 10-25-03, 08:18 PM	Maybe he has a curse from some necromancer. He doesn't know why he has this obsession, but he just has to keep collecting dead things. Hundreds of sleeper agents, all collecting body parts for a mass animation spell, done by a cabal of Clerics of Nerull! Plot Hook Man AWAAAAAAAAYYY!!!! At any rate, he does have some distinguishing characteristics, he's not totally bland and the best part of the quirk is, you can always make a Krovikan Fetish from your trophies!
Mordenkainen's Rubber Duck of DOOM 10-25-03, 08:42 PM	Or maybe he knows a mage that has a use for them...
He Who Is 10-25-03, 09:27 PM	Maybe he has plans to use the pieces he takes to build replace his parts? Really who hasn't done this one time or another? Maybe he has a friend or relative named Dr. Victor Frankenstein? Cannabalism. A Family Curse that requires a a certain amount of flesh from various people at routine intervals. Maybe it's a contest Maybe body parts are cash in his home county I like the Necromancer angle that someone mentioed earlier. After 1000s of years, the Necromancer has an army in the millions, and it's up to our heroes to build an army to stop them.