help with Tiefling Cleric [Archive] - Wizards Community

help with Tiefling Cleric [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
shadowsofwhite
04-24-06, 08:06 PM I need help with the backstory, name, and ideals, for my Tiefling Cleric. He is 5'11" tall and weighs 185lbs. His hair is black, his skin is a dark, dusky color and his eyes are black voids. He wears fullplate armor, his helmet only having eye holes, which because of his eyes makes it look empty. He is a godless cleric with the domains of Death and war.

Due to the fact that he has no god, he needs an Ideal to follow. I'm having difficulty with such. I am also at a loss with the name. His alignment is neutral.

The storyline so far is that his mother was raped by a notorious tiefling and came to be prenant with him. She didn't know what to do when time to give birth came, so she went to the nearest church of Pelor to deliver the baby. The priests, upon seeing the child, told her he was dead and took him into a back room. After a while, they decided to leave him with another church, but no church would take him in. Eventually they just left him at the gates to the Underdark. The drow just took him as one of their own, but the children shunned him because of his dark hair and black eyes.

Oh, here's some crunch, if you want it, and yes, these are natural rolls.
Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 10, Com 16 (maybe 14, depending on the DM's decision). He is lvl 2 and has 20 hp. He weilds a Maul, as described in CW and his ending skill modifiers are: bluff 4, concentration 8 heal 8, Intimidate 2, listen 6, sense motive 6, and spellcraft 9. I have not yet decided upon his one feat.

that's all I've got. Any help is appreciated.
Morka
04-26-06, 12:18 PM Strange story. Ok, throwing some random thoughts here:
Firstly, I seriously doubt any drow would adopt even a drow orphan, so I would forget about them adopting a non-drow. And I doubt any cleric of Pelor would let a baby with demonic blood at the gates of the underdark, knowing he's doom to either die, either be raised as an evil beign.

I'm currently playing an half-orc who's both parents were abandonned at birth and let to die, but some cleric of Wee Jas adopted them to avoid a useless death. That could fit with your tiefling character.

The two domain you choose don't fit together very well. A godless cleric with the Death domain could be a fortune teller, adept at predicting death, or someone giving death by mystical ways. But War is the way to kill/protect someone else with weapons, using magic to merely buff yourself.

Unless you would play like Aramis the Musketeer, a warrior priest blessing every foe he slays?
shadowsofwhite
04-26-06, 06:30 PM Okay, thanks for the help Morka. Here's what I have now:

His mother was Kidnapped by a Tiefling servant of Hextor (I think that's the right god, I want to be sure it's the evil one), who had his way with her until he successfully impregnated her. After she gave birth to him, she was killed and his father began to raise him as a warrior-cleric to be part of the army of Hextor. He was kept within the church grounds for quite some time, yet was never able to believe in what he was being trained to do. He began to crave freedom.

A great magician, in an effort to thwart the plans of the church, infiltrated the grounds and gave the tiefling child a mark. This mark was a series of blood red runes that ran down his spine from the base of his skull to just above his buttox. The magician left a note in the boy's hand, telling of what the mark did and how to use it. What the mark did was allow him to steal his spells from the divine, rather than having to pray for them.

The tiefling boy slayed his father and ran off into the surrounding swamps of the church, his robes growing tattered and torn. On occasion, he would find a body in the bogs and he would take their money, evenually accruing a sizable sum. He also made use of a Falcion he had found on a body.

Eventually he came to a town at the edge of the swamps. This town shunned him on sight, locking the doors to their shops as he walked past. Only one man did not seem to have any quarrel with the tiefling's appearance, this man was the town smith, who was quite well known for his ability to craft the local bog iron into usable tools of high quality. The smith figured that business was business and asked if the tiefling had sufficient gold and any special desires. The boy requested a specially made suit of full plate armor and a new falchion. The smith made the armor and the falchion to match and the tiefling payed handsomely, using most all the money he stole from the bodies of the marshes.

Leaving the town, he worked as a mercanary, making sure to keep his identity secret, but many found out who he really was and sent him away. He got the cold shoulder wherever he went, so he decided to go somewhere he heard was not so hazardous for those who were different from the norm. He boarded the boat to Port Town (the starting location of the campaign) and has been wandering the streets ever since, finding that mest everybody was just as weary about trusting a tiefling as everywhere else.

I still need a name, obviously. His first domain will be war, I need help on his second domain.
BrutalMisery
04-26-06, 06:50 PM Choose Destruction. That ties in with War very nicely. A slight change in the history is that he was chosen by Hextor, who granted him all this power to spread death and suffering (he didna have a choice in the matter). Through in a few urges every now and them, and you got some one who can, will, and take pleasure in, crushing many cocky adventures/warriors/that-guy-down-over-there.

Also, you could go with Strength and Destruction. If used at the same time, there is no better way to say "My God doesn't like you."
Fithero
04-27-06, 04:07 AM Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 10, Com 16

What is Com?

Anyway, as for your story, its good at the start, but at the end it just seems like youve decided that you want the character to wear full plate and have a falchion, so youve just stuck together an excuse as to why he has them.

He is only level 2, so full plate is pretty serious for his level, instead of him wandering the swamps looting corpses for coins (which i might add.. would take ages, since plate costs like 1500gp)

Why not just have him discover a corpse in the swamp that actually drowned due to the weight of their full plate armor? Seems to make more sense to me, and it would be a little more interesting

"my character is wearing a freshing crafted suit of full plate.. just like that guy over there, and that one"

or

"my character wears full plate that is covered in rust and squeeks and grinds as he walks"

I dunno, finding the gold and paying for a custom suit just seems a little off key, but your choice i spose (buying the sword is cool though)

As for the rest of it, its all good, hope you have fun playing him.

Later
Morka
04-27-06, 11:24 AM Okay, thanks for the help Morka.

No problems! :cool:

The tiefling boy slayed his father...
Don't. Have him kill the temple high priest, a lot of low-level priests, but when he gets in face of his father, then he just run away. It is his father, after all. That would give you a good recurrent villain who's not too willing to kill you.

Why not just have him discover a corpse in the swamp that actually drowned due to the weight of their full plate armor?
Excellent idea. And since one must spend something like 200 gp to adjust a full plate, perhaps the smith did it for free. It's better than spending 1500 gp for a full plate for a complete stranger. Unless this smith happen to have lost his daughter 20 years ago, and despite his strange complexion, your character strangely reminds him this daughter... ;)
shadowsofwhite
04-27-06, 11:55 AM I like the idea of him finding the armor on a corpse in the bog. Either way, his armor is going to look rusty and pitted, it's made of bog iron which makes anything it's crafted into look rusty and pitted. I think I'll use the idea of him finding the armor in the bog. That'd work well.

Oh, and I forgot to mention this earlier, thanks for reminding me Fithero. Com, or comliness, is a new ability added by my DM. It's how good the character looks, or how attractive he is. This takes over charisma on several skills, such as intimidate and Perform(dance).
2nd Ed Paladin
05-02-06, 10:44 AM Just for reference, comeliness was introduced in the original ADD Unearthed Arcana in the 80s.

I like the new revised background, good work.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
shadowsofwhite 04-24-06, 08:06 PM	I need help with the backstory, name, and ideals, for my Tiefling Cleric. He is 5'11" tall and weighs 185lbs. His hair is black, his skin is a dark, dusky color and his eyes are black voids. He wears fullplate armor, his helmet only having eye holes, which because of his eyes makes it look empty. He is a godless cleric with the domains of Death and war. Due to the fact that he has no god, he needs an Ideal to follow. I'm having difficulty with such. I am also at a loss with the name. His alignment is neutral. The storyline so far is that his mother was raped by a notorious tiefling and came to be prenant with him. She didn't know what to do when time to give birth came, so she went to the nearest church of Pelor to deliver the baby. The priests, upon seeing the child, told her he was dead and took him into a back room. After a while, they decided to leave him with another church, but no church would take him in. Eventually they just left him at the gates to the Underdark. The drow just took him as one of their own, but the children shunned him because of his dark hair and black eyes. Oh, here's some crunch, if you want it, and yes, these are natural rolls. Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 10, Com 16 (maybe 14, depending on the DM's decision). He is lvl 2 and has 20 hp. He weilds a Maul, as described in CW and his ending skill modifiers are: bluff 4, concentration 8 heal 8, Intimidate 2, listen 6, sense motive 6, and spellcraft 9. I have not yet decided upon his one feat. that's all I've got. Any help is appreciated.
Morka 04-26-06, 12:18 PM	Strange story. Ok, throwing some random thoughts here: Firstly, I seriously doubt any drow would adopt even a drow orphan, so I would forget about them adopting a non-drow. And I doubt any cleric of Pelor would let a baby with demonic blood at the gates of the underdark, knowing he's doom to either die, either be raised as an evil beign. I'm currently playing an half-orc who's both parents were abandonned at birth and let to die, but some cleric of Wee Jas adopted them to avoid a useless death. That could fit with your tiefling character. The two domain you choose don't fit together very well. A godless cleric with the Death domain could be a fortune teller, adept at predicting death, or someone giving death by mystical ways. But War is the way to kill/protect someone else with weapons, using magic to merely buff yourself. Unless you would play like Aramis the Musketeer, a warrior priest blessing every foe he slays?
shadowsofwhite 04-26-06, 06:30 PM	Okay, thanks for the help Morka. Here's what I have now: His mother was Kidnapped by a Tiefling servant of Hextor (I think that's the right god, I want to be sure it's the evil one), who had his way with her until he successfully impregnated her. After she gave birth to him, she was killed and his father began to raise him as a warrior-cleric to be part of the army of Hextor. He was kept within the church grounds for quite some time, yet was never able to believe in what he was being trained to do. He began to crave freedom. A great magician, in an effort to thwart the plans of the church, infiltrated the grounds and gave the tiefling child a mark. This mark was a series of blood red runes that ran down his spine from the base of his skull to just above his buttox. The magician left a note in the boy's hand, telling of what the mark did and how to use it. What the mark did was allow him to steal his spells from the divine, rather than having to pray for them. The tiefling boy slayed his father and ran off into the surrounding swamps of the church, his robes growing tattered and torn. On occasion, he would find a body in the bogs and he would take their money, evenually accruing a sizable sum. He also made use of a Falcion he had found on a body. Eventually he came to a town at the edge of the swamps. This town shunned him on sight, locking the doors to their shops as he walked past. Only one man did not seem to have any quarrel with the tiefling's appearance, this man was the town smith, who was quite well known for his ability to craft the local bog iron into usable tools of high quality. The smith figured that business was business and asked if the tiefling had sufficient gold and any special desires. The boy requested a specially made suit of full plate armor and a new falchion. The smith made the armor and the falchion to match and the tiefling payed handsomely, using most all the money he stole from the bodies of the marshes. Leaving the town, he worked as a mercanary, making sure to keep his identity secret, but many found out who he really was and sent him away. He got the cold shoulder wherever he went, so he decided to go somewhere he heard was not so hazardous for those who were different from the norm. He boarded the boat to Port Town (the starting location of the campaign) and has been wandering the streets ever since, finding that mest everybody was just as weary about trusting a tiefling as everywhere else. I still need a name, obviously. His first domain will be war, I need help on his second domain.
BrutalMisery 04-26-06, 06:50 PM	Choose Destruction. That ties in with War very nicely. A slight change in the history is that he was chosen by Hextor, who granted him all this power to spread death and suffering (he didna have a choice in the matter). Through in a few urges every now and them, and you got some one who can, will, and take pleasure in, crushing many cocky adventures/warriors/that-guy-down-over-there. Also, you could go with Strength and Destruction. If used at the same time, there is no better way to say "My God doesn't like you."
Fithero 04-27-06, 04:07 AM	Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 10, Com 16 What is Com? Anyway, as for your story, its good at the start, but at the end it just seems like youve decided that you want the character to wear full plate and have a falchion, so youve just stuck together an excuse as to why he has them. He is only level 2, so full plate is pretty serious for his level, instead of him wandering the swamps looting corpses for coins (which i might add.. would take ages, since plate costs like 1500gp) Why not just have him discover a corpse in the swamp that actually drowned due to the weight of their full plate armor? Seems to make more sense to me, and it would be a little more interesting "my character is wearing a freshing crafted suit of full plate.. just like that guy over there, and that one" or "my character wears full plate that is covered in rust and squeeks and grinds as he walks" I dunno, finding the gold and paying for a custom suit just seems a little off key, but your choice i spose (buying the sword is cool though) As for the rest of it, its all good, hope you have fun playing him. Later
Morka 04-27-06, 11:24 AM	Okay, thanks for the help Morka. No problems! :cool: The tiefling boy slayed his father... Don't. Have him kill the temple high priest, a lot of low-level priests, but when he gets in face of his father, then he just run away. It is his father, after all. That would give you a good recurrent villain who's not too willing to kill you. Why not just have him discover a corpse in the swamp that actually drowned due to the weight of their full plate armor? Excellent idea. And since one must spend something like 200 gp to adjust a full plate, perhaps the smith did it for free. It's better than spending 1500 gp for a full plate for a complete stranger. Unless this smith happen to have lost his daughter 20 years ago, and despite his strange complexion, your character strangely reminds him this daughter... ;)
shadowsofwhite 04-27-06, 11:55 AM	I like the idea of him finding the armor on a corpse in the bog. Either way, his armor is going to look rusty and pitted, it's made of bog iron which makes anything it's crafted into look rusty and pitted. I think I'll use the idea of him finding the armor in the bog. That'd work well. Oh, and I forgot to mention this earlier, thanks for reminding me Fithero. Com, or comliness, is a new ability added by my DM. It's how good the character looks, or how attractive he is. This takes over charisma on several skills, such as intimidate and Perform(dance).
2nd Ed Paladin 05-02-06, 10:44 AM	Just for reference, comeliness was introduced in the original ADD Unearthed Arcana in the 80s. I like the new revised background, good work.