Post/Author/DateTime	Post
dj.chair 09-01-05, 03:36 PM	Howdy, I've decided to post this here instead of under the optimization board, for the main reason that the DM hasn't given us character creation rules except that it begins at twelvth level. Here's my challenge to y'all, if you choose to accept it, to describe in a few sentences a unique/fun type of character. The restrictions that I'm placing on this are limited to the books I own at the moment, so it has to be a class/race/prestiege (optional) combination from PHB 3.5, Complete Adventurer, Complete Warrior, and Races of Stone. The DM has informed us that it's going to be a social game as well as a fighting game (read: some parts are going to be very difficult to navigate with a weapon.) I'm interested in playing something fresh, and interesting... like a half-orc druid, or a dwarven archer, or a something bard.
Sluagh 09-01-05, 03:47 PM	To work with the flavour of this board a little better, could you give us the sort of personality/background you might be interested in playing? Then we can help you flesh that out, as well as toss together some classes/feats.
dj.chair 09-01-05, 04:05 PM	To be honest, I just want to play something fresh and fun. (More on this later.) As for the feats and everything that isn't necessary. I was looking more for the boards' views on what falls under unique and entertaining. Heck, evan a vanilla human fighter would be cool, as long as an interesting twist was thrown in there somewhere. (As promised above, more on the concept.) I'm so used to playing the support guy. The fighter that softens up the baddies before the team-member who deals 900 damage walks into the fray. Or I play the cleric that spends all his time healing, but never dealing any reasonable damage. I just want to stand out. Any suggestions would be greatly accepted!
Sluagh 09-01-05, 05:49 PM	Hmm, how about something like the classic power hungry magic user... perhaps a necromancer/illusionist... the unpopular child who was bullied and shunned as a child, leaving him sullen, withdrawn and seething. He turns to magic to gain power over those who held power over him through his life; to get revenge. Illusion and Necromancy are good schools for this sort of thing, enfeebling enemies, crippling the minds of the weak of will... a good path to gaining power over others to make one feel bigger. Perhaps delight in the troubles of others, especially when they show any form of weakness when you do not. Make those around you feel bad, put them down (subtly mind you, so they don't fully realize its happening), put poisonous thoughts in their minds concerning their fellow adventurers and loved ones...
Fithero 09-01-05, 07:47 PM	How about a dwarven scout who later takes levels in the blood hound prestiege class? "Kicked out of his clan, he turned to a life of capturing ciminals to support himself" A whisper gnome urban ranger who goes into the street fighter and vigilante prestiege classes? "Sick of seeing his city streets being ravaged by crime, he decides to take matters into his own hands" Or an elf from some other plane where their society is more oriental, and your character is a ninja or something....just plain wacked out :P I dunno Later
dj.chair 09-01-05, 11:09 PM	Hmm, how about something like the classic power hungry magic user... perhaps a necromancer/illusionist... the unpopular child who was bullied and shunned as a child, leaving him sullen, withdrawn and seething. He turns to magic to gain power over those who held power over him through his life; to get revenge. Illusion and Necromancy are good schools for this sort of thing, enfeebling enemies, crippling the minds of the weak of will... a good path to gaining power over others to make one feel bigger. Perhaps delight in the troubles of others, especially when they show any form of weakness when you do not. Make those around you feel bad, put them down (subtly mind you, so they don't fully realize its happening), put poisonous thoughts in their minds concerning their fellow adventurers and loved ones... I truely love your idea, I just forgot to mention before that the DM has made one other restriction. We're supposed to be the good guys, fighting against the forces of evil. I don't think that this character build, while fun, would be appropriate for a good aligned only campaign. Drat!
dj.chair 09-01-05, 11:16 PM	A whisper gnome urban ranger who goes into the street fighter and vigilante prestiege classes? "Sick of seeing his city streets being ravaged by crime, he decides to take matters into his own hands" I really think I like this idea. I'm going to certainly look into all of this after my wife and I finish moving into our new apartment. Please keep the ideas coming, I'm not looking for feat choices or skill development. What I'm looking for is cool ideas that click in your head that is fun to play, and more importantly have that character be memorable! Keep it up!!!
bobothehobo8 09-02-05, 01:09 AM	1- A character who narrates his life as he lives. 2- A compulsive liar. Not for personal benefit- purely for the fun of it. 3- An old man, partially deaf, missing one eye, crooked back, who just happens to be a crazy awesome archer. I just pulled these off the top of my head. :looloo: Sound fun to me.
Sluagh 09-02-05, 04:13 PM	I truely love your idea, I just forgot to mention before that the DM has made one other restriction. We're supposed to be the good guys, fighting against the forces of evil. I don't think that this character build, while fun, would be appropriate for a good aligned only campaign. Drat! It is possible to play a "good" character with an evil alignment. Most DMs can't recognize this, though, so it usually isn't allowed. It is possible to have greater goals of goodness in mind, but take less than good motions to accomplish them (ie ends justify the means) or to have a greater good goal while doing things that aren't so good along the way. If you've read the Dragonlance Chronicles, Raistlin fits this sort of idea, and is a partial basis (along with a common wizard background stereotype) for the background. He starts out as a Neutral caster but becomes Evil in the end... and is the reason that the Good faction of the story is able to win the war. Though evil, his evil acts brought about a greater good. On the other hand, you could also go with a character idea that I was thinking of running with: Half-Orc Paladin. Half-Orcs tend to have childhoods of violence; being different, larger and stronger than the other children, with fewer graces, they tend to be brutalized and outcast. Most of them lash out at this by becoming the stereotypes they're hit with (Barbarians); some choose to rise above their torment and dedicate their lives to proving the stereotypes wrong. You could play one of these, dedicating yourself to a good god and becoming a paladin... Working for good and to overcome your own personal insecurities, the route of the Paladin is a dangerous one, as it can quickly lead to self-righteousness and arrogance... Another one, if your DM allows Savage Species in his/her games, is the brilliant beast. Similar to the idea above, play an Orc, Ogre, Troll, Giant or some other race that tends to be unthinking, wild monsters... only, put your best stat roll into Intelligence and have a non-evil alignment. Be knowledgable, wise, sagely... and of course, misunderstood. Figuring out who taught you what you know and how it happened can be tough, but can be done... Outside of townships, you are a scholar, but as you enter town with your group, you are seen simply as a monster; but you're resigned to the treatment and carry shackles or something with you wherever you go, using them as sort of a disguise/insurance against the anger of the townsfolk who wouldn't probably just let you wander into town. You could eventually win over their trust and respect through a campaign though and build a reputation...
Radijs 09-02-05, 06:17 PM	A druid who's been a shut in mostly. He's never left the forest where he was trained in by his master who has now kicked him out to fend for himself. So he's completely alienated from his enviroment. People shy and distrusts almost everyone save his animal companion.
dj.chair 09-03-05, 01:24 AM	It is possible to play a "good" character with an evil alignment. Most DMs can't recognize this, though, so it usually isn't allowed. It is possible to have greater goals of goodness in mind, but take less than good motions to accomplish them (ie ends justify the means) or to have a greater good goal while doing things that aren't so good along the way. If you've read the Dragonlance Chronicles, Raistlin fits this sort of idea, and is a partial basis (along with a common wizard background stereotype) for the background. He starts out as a Neutral caster but becomes Evil in the end... and is the reason that the Good faction of the story is able to win the war. Though evil, his evil acts brought about a greater good. That's funny. As I was mentioning the whole "good alignment" thing, I was thinking about Raistlin. It might be fun to play an evil aligned character, I just don't know if I could trust myself. (Heh) On the other hand, you could also go with a character idea that I was thinking of running with: Half-Orc Paladin. Half-Orcs tend to have childhoods of violence; being different, larger and stronger than the other children, with fewer graces, they tend to be brutalized and outcast. Most of them lash out at this by becoming the stereotypes they're hit with (Barbarians); some choose to rise above their torment and dedicate their lives to proving the stereotypes wrong. You could play one of these, dedicating yourself to a good god and becoming a paladin... Working for good and to overcome your own personal insecurities, the route of the Paladin is a dangerous one, as it can quickly lead to self-righteousness and arrogance... This would be the exact opposite of the above character, I'm not sure if I could trust myself to play a super-good aligned character. I think it may drive a wedge between me and my other players. If someone could give me some pointers on how to possibly play a ultra good character, I may honestly consider this. Another one, if your DM allows Savage Species in his/her games, is the brilliant beast. Similar to the idea above, play an Orc, Ogre, Troll, Giant or some other race that tends to be unthinking, wild monsters... only, put your best stat roll into Intelligence and have a non-evil alignment. Be knowledgable, wise, sagely... and of course, misunderstood. Figuring out who taught you what you know and how it happened can be tough, but can be done... Outside of townships, you are a scholar, but as you enter town with your group, you are seen simply as a monster; but you're resigned to the treatment and carry shackles or something with you wherever you go, using them as sort of a disguise/insurance against the anger of the townsfolk who wouldn't probably just let you wander into town. You could eventually win over their trust and respect through a campaign though and build a reputation... This sounds like a truely great idea. I especially love the idea of carring manacles around and restraining myself until people can trust me or I've left the building.