how about adding a little personality? [Archive] - Wizards Community

how about adding a little personality? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
LiXinjian
12-16-03, 09:59 AM I need help with a character I am creating. I posted about this character a while ago, but I have decided to give up on his "master of disguise" theme, and come up with another personality altogether.

He goes somewhat like this:

Stats(adjusted for race): 13,12,16,19,13,15
Race: Deep Imaskari (underdark humans from ancient Imaskar)
Sex: Male
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Name: Frazznarght is the only one I got so far. Sounds too weird?? Any suggestions?

So I'm thinking my character tried to make a living away from Deep Imaskar in a large city (perhaps Waterdeep). He worked as a language teacher, since he knew so many of them thanks to his intelligence. He was particularly good with Roushoum (no surprise there - it's his native tongue) which is as close to a dead language as possible for almost all of Faerūn. Therefore, he was an eminent "sage" in this particular language.

Now, while he could live decently off his wages, he could never engage in spell research (if you come to think of it, the prices mentioned in the core rulebooks are astronomical, and only adventurers can afford them). Therefore, he decides to sell his services as a mageling mercenary. At first, he's not quite sure of what he is doing. He's full of doubts and fears. He hesitates a lot, thinks of giving up to go back to his books in Waterdeep. In combat, he's a real mess. He stutters, fails to cast properly, etc. (I'm thinking a 20% chance of arcane spell failure for the first level, and lowering that percentage by 5% per level. Thankfully, he's got a nice constitution score to keep him alive until he's more assured)

I am going for the Incantatrix prestige class. There's a part of it that makes mention of thwarting demons and outsiders, but the part I am focussing on is their interest in metamagic. Well, actually, I wouldn't mind having some sort of ties with both the outsider business and the metamagic one. So far, I've decided he dislikes outsiders' meddling with Faerunian affairs. He doesn't want his world to become yet another battlefield for the demons and celestials (or devils and celestial, or demons and devils). He doesn't like tieflings and aasimars and any other half-bred that's part outsider and part native. While he may be a bit more tolerant with the good-aligned ones, in the end, it's only the means to send them back that change. He can parley with the celestials, but goes straight for the artillery with devils and demons.

I'm thinking he could be a lawyer of some sort, too. But I don't truly care at this point.

What do you guys/gals think? Throw anything you can come up with at me...
Morka
12-16-03, 10:44 AM I like the attitude toward outsiders; fit well with LN alignment. Is it the same toward elemental outsiders? Does he have a special thing with Earth outsiders (I know Deep Ismakari can have "Terran" as bonus language).

At which level are you starting again? How did he reach Waterdeep from Deep Ismakar? Do you plan to make it public that he is a Deep Ismakari, or to hide it? Even if it is not a "master of disguise", it should be easy to hide his ascendance.

A little power play suggestion: make him Middle Aged or Venerable; it fits well with is "years of teaching", and you have intellectual bonuses.
LiXinjian
12-16-03, 09:20 PM I suppose in the case of elemental outsiders, his views are essentially the same, only it's because he can't stand the age-old "my element is better than your element" debate. I think he'd like to spit it out in their faces: "They're all the same! It's not only because of game balance issues, but they truly are the same power-wise, you freaks!! Fire is no better than water: it's its equivalent!" ;)

We're starting at first level, I guess. And I hope so, too, otherwise my plan on having him botch some spells until he's used to the stress of combat won't be usable. With his awesome intelligent score (I'm taking Spellcasting Prodigy as his first-level feat to further boost his Int19 to a virtual Int21) he'll have plenty of bonus spells to miscast. Plus, he's got the Spell Clutch ability to recover one first-level spell cast during the day. He'll survive. He's a survivor, only he never knew it until he decided to become an adventurer.

He'll still be a youngster, though. Maybe that's part of why he had relative difficulty making a comfortable living: how could someone so young know so much? Most people hired old scholars before they hired him. He'll be like 23 or something.

I've thought of something else, too. He'll be dressed rather normally at first (ie. scholar's outfit) and as he learns to enjoy the adventuring life, he'll switch attire drastically. I think he'll wear a close-fitting black robe, and shave his head. With his pale face, he'll look a bit like Nosferatu, but not too much.. His fellow adventurers will be shocked when he returns to them dressed like that..

I hope the DM will help me play the ex-teacher part. Some former students of his could recognize him (even after he's changed his style) on the streets. You know, that sort of thing. Nobody knows he's from Deep Imaskari, by the way. They think he's got a skin condition or something.

I haven't given much thought about his life before he came to Waterdeep, so if anyone has any suggestion...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
LiXinjian 12-16-03, 09:59 AM	I need help with a character I am creating. I posted about this character a while ago, but I have decided to give up on his "master of disguise" theme, and come up with another personality altogether. He goes somewhat like this: Stats(adjusted for race): 13,12,16,19,13,15 Race: Deep Imaskari (underdark humans from ancient Imaskar) Sex: Male Alignment: Lawful Neutral Name: Frazznarght is the only one I got so far. Sounds too weird?? Any suggestions? So I'm thinking my character tried to make a living away from Deep Imaskar in a large city (perhaps Waterdeep). He worked as a language teacher, since he knew so many of them thanks to his intelligence. He was particularly good with Roushoum (no surprise there - it's his native tongue) which is as close to a dead language as possible for almost all of Faerūn. Therefore, he was an eminent "sage" in this particular language. Now, while he could live decently off his wages, he could never engage in spell research (if you come to think of it, the prices mentioned in the core rulebooks are astronomical, and only adventurers can afford them). Therefore, he decides to sell his services as a mageling mercenary. At first, he's not quite sure of what he is doing. He's full of doubts and fears. He hesitates a lot, thinks of giving up to go back to his books in Waterdeep. In combat, he's a real mess. He stutters, fails to cast properly, etc. (I'm thinking a 20% chance of arcane spell failure for the first level, and lowering that percentage by 5% per level. Thankfully, he's got a nice constitution score to keep him alive until he's more assured) I am going for the Incantatrix prestige class. There's a part of it that makes mention of thwarting demons and outsiders, but the part I am focussing on is their interest in metamagic. Well, actually, I wouldn't mind having some sort of ties with both the outsider business and the metamagic one. So far, I've decided he dislikes outsiders' meddling with Faerunian affairs. He doesn't want his world to become yet another battlefield for the demons and celestials (or devils and celestial, or demons and devils). He doesn't like tieflings and aasimars and any other half-bred that's part outsider and part native. While he may be a bit more tolerant with the good-aligned ones, in the end, it's only the means to send them back that change. He can parley with the celestials, but goes straight for the artillery with devils and demons. I'm thinking he could be a lawyer of some sort, too. But I don't truly care at this point. What do you guys/gals think? Throw anything you can come up with at me...
Morka 12-16-03, 10:44 AM	I like the attitude toward outsiders; fit well with LN alignment. Is it the same toward elemental outsiders? Does he have a special thing with Earth outsiders (I know Deep Ismakari can have "Terran" as bonus language). At which level are you starting again? How did he reach Waterdeep from Deep Ismakar? Do you plan to make it public that he is a Deep Ismakari, or to hide it? Even if it is not a "master of disguise", it should be easy to hide his ascendance. A little power play suggestion: make him Middle Aged or Venerable; it fits well with is "years of teaching", and you have intellectual bonuses.
LiXinjian 12-16-03, 09:20 PM	I suppose in the case of elemental outsiders, his views are essentially the same, only it's because he can't stand the age-old "my element is better than your element" debate. I think he'd like to spit it out in their faces: "They're all the same! It's not only because of game balance issues, but they truly are the same power-wise, you freaks!! Fire is no better than water: it's its equivalent!" ;) We're starting at first level, I guess. And I hope so, too, otherwise my plan on having him botch some spells until he's used to the stress of combat won't be usable. With his awesome intelligent score (I'm taking Spellcasting Prodigy as his first-level feat to further boost his Int19 to a virtual Int21) he'll have plenty of bonus spells to miscast. Plus, he's got the Spell Clutch ability to recover one first-level spell cast during the day. He'll survive. He's a survivor, only he never knew it until he decided to become an adventurer. He'll still be a youngster, though. Maybe that's part of why he had relative difficulty making a comfortable living: how could someone so young know so much? Most people hired old scholars before they hired him. He'll be like 23 or something. I've thought of something else, too. He'll be dressed rather normally at first (ie. scholar's outfit) and as he learns to enjoy the adventuring life, he'll switch attire drastically. I think he'll wear a close-fitting black robe, and shave his head. With his pale face, he'll look a bit like Nosferatu, but not too much.. His fellow adventurers will be shocked when he returns to them dressed like that.. I hope the DM will help me play the ex-teacher part. Some former students of his could recognize him (even after he's changed his style) on the streets. You know, that sort of thing. Nobody knows he's from Deep Imaskari, by the way. They think he's got a skin condition or something. I haven't given much thought about his life before he came to Waterdeep, so if anyone has any suggestion...