Post/Author/DateTime	Post
fozzybear 06-12-07, 10:51 PM	I am going to be playing a Human Psion Seer, who will be going towards Thrallheard, in a game soon, and I was having trouble coming up with a back story. I took this from some book and it really fit what I wanted to accomplish, I was just wondering if anyone else had some ideas. Manipulator No one knows the real you, and you prefer to keep it that way. Though you have allies and might even have a few friends, your background is a mystery to all. In the absence of fact, rumor and legend rush to fill the void. While you do not actively spread mis-information, it pleases you to hear others tell fantastic stories about where you were born or raised, your exploits, and the true extent of your powers. When other characters ask about your background, don't ever give a straight reply. Dance around the truth, making ominous statements in the place of answers. Let them believe what they would like - and let your actions give them every reason to believe the most fantastic possibilities. Useful to be able to lie directly to someone's face, or to stare someone in the face until he or she slinks away nervously. "Many before you have pondered my origin. Your questions, like those, must remain unanswered... for your own safety."
BroadStreetBully 06-12-07, 11:35 PM	that can be an interesting way of roleplaying your character, but what would you like his actual background to be? if you can give an idea of what he's ACTUALLY done and who he actually is, you'll be able to better fabricate the myths and legends that other people believe about him for your background. and obviously, if you want to have an aura of mystery about the character's past, you never want to outright deny anything about it.
fozzybear 06-13-07, 03:39 PM	That's what I am not very good at. All I can ever think of for character's history is the cliche of the farm boy who develops powers and skills and leaves to adventure.
Gingerbread Guy 06-13-07, 05:31 PM	Sounds like you have his personality down, and thats a great start. I think it suits a Thrallherd well: Since he's not the type to open up to people, the best way for him to make friends and allies is through his psionics. Some people might win everlasting friends and unconditional love by being open and honest with their peers, but lets face it - thralling is just easier. Now we just have to weave a background around this. Sometimes its easiest to come up with the character's motivation first, then decide what events must have taken place in his life to give him that goal. Other details can be filled in as necessary, and feel free to avoid the typical just for the sake of originality. Any ideas about some future goals? What is he going to do with his thralls? ~Ginger
BroadStreetBully 06-13-07, 06:22 PM	hm, i can understand how you want to avoid cliche's, but it's still tough without much to work with. here's the short version of a recent background i've written (for a gestalted Assassin/Master Thrower, eberron setting): he was born into a minor noble family in Breland. In an annual fencing tournament while he was in his late teens, he was hard-pressed by his cousin during one of the later duels. In an act of desperation, he threw his main-gauche at his cousin to distract him, but his cousin dodged when he should have ducked. the poor sap consequently lost an eye. My character was subsequently chased chased by his uncle and a contingent of royal guards into the night, and he fleeeeeeeeeeeed! Using a hat of disguise and some forged ID's (such things exist in eberron), he enrolled into Morgrave University in Sharn with a different identity, and also bluffed/fake-id'd his way into getting steady pay without working. he got himself a clean apartment, and things were going well until some warforged upstart opened up a successful magic shop on the same block that my character lived. my character, along with one of the warforged's rivals, decided to run him out of town. as such, my character (via the hat of disguise) took on a persona with an outlandish outfit, and would break into local merchants' stores in broad daylight. soon enough it was a common occurrence to see a 6'5" scrawny guy decked out in all red with a half-mask and a cape running through the streets with money and jumping off of ledges (to land safely, thank you ring of feather fall!). through bribing/intimidating a local journalist, a smear campaign was started against both the warforged and the newly-named "Crimson Fiend"; the articles insisted the "crimson fiend" was hired by the warforged to cripple the other merchants, and soon enough the warforged was run out of town. the warforged, however, had friends of the rich and powerful variety. they decided to abduct my character and force him into a life of villainy and assassination (and by "force", i mean i've been wanting to play an assassin for a while....) while that certainly is pretty specific to my character (and some of his background has already come back to haunt him), maybe that'll give you a few ideas.
Terjon of the Blue Rose 06-15-07, 02:47 AM	If you really want to play a manipulator I suggest Orson Scott Cards' Maps in the Mirror. In particular a short story called Euminides in the Fourth Floor Lavatory. That guy would have amde a great thrallherd. Now, as for background. Your parents were not wealthy but as you grew up but you were denied nothing. Your father was a respected blacksmith and what he could not make he would find ways to get you. Your mother worked nights in a local tavern to provide for you. Indeed there were few people in your life who did not seek to make you happy... in fact, perhaps stragnely, there were none. You weren't the type to throw a tantrum when denied a toy you sought or a chance to go on a trip that your family couldn't afford. No. you would be proud of your parents and very publicly put on your brave face, knowing that you could shame them into working more hours so they could get you what you wanted. They never suspected that you knew this would force their hand. Neither did the baker who gave you sweets because your parents couldn't afford them. Nor did the ushers at a local theatre who had somehow learned the same and knew how you desperately longed to see those plays. You knew how to make others not only do what you wanted but want to do what you wanted. This didn't stop as you grew older either. Few of the girls at your school could resist you, for while you could always find a lever to put them where you wanted them, noone could find such on you. You have never known what it is to be hated. The bullies and crueler children who would have taunted you always seemed to find themselves in worse circumstances then you shortly thereafter. They would find that shoving you one day they were badly beaten by others the next. Teachers would seek them out to make examples of and other children avoid them like they were plagued. Then you learned your true power. Your power went beyond simple silver tongue. Yours was a power to enter and manipulate directly the minds of others. Now you have left to gather what is rightfully yours from the world.
Fithero 06-15-07, 09:36 AM	Mystery breeds intrigue... Thats pretty much what your going for, right? You should have some pretty interesting events/aspects in your life, that you leave open and let others talk about. You were born from a virgin. You were the single survivor of an undead assault on your village. An old prophet, upon seeing you, pointed at you, started babbling, then died. Your eyes are both different colours. (I have that, its amazing how much it wierds people out...) Your abnormally short/tall, big or small for your race. You know a language that very few know. You have a mark (ie:tattoo, scar, birth mark) that you got *somehow*. Just stuff that the average commoner will find strange, possibly brood over, then eventually come at you thinking your a witch or some such provinical nonsense. :P Peace