Ideas for a Cleric of Vecna [Archive] - Wizards Community

Ideas for a Cleric of Vecna [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Gunnloda
10-05-05, 11:45 PM My character is a janni (Monster class from Planar HB) Assassin (PrC, DMG) with one level in Cleric (of Vecna).

I'm looking for roleplaying advice in a party with a want-to-be Lich, a shade, and a psionic.
kuhTHOOloo
10-06-05, 12:00 AM Could you post the background that you have for you character? (at least a brief one) Then we could help you a lot better.
Gunnloda
10-06-05, 12:54 AM Notes: It's a planar campaign, based in Sigil, but we leave the City of Doors regularly.

I don't have anything solidly written out yet, but...

Basically, he was a good person raised in the midst of a religious war (Levels 1-11), but after his caravan (read village/clan) was butchered during peacetalks, he found another path. Killing the priest who ordered his clan's death drew the attention of an assassin guild in the kingdom.

When they approached him, he was drifting and alone. He joined them without protest and rose quickly in the ranks until he headed the guild. (Levels 12-16) Under his leadership, the guild began concentrating more on contracts to kill holy men, priests, and clerics.

One day, when he met with the guild's representatives from different primes, they bowed to him out of respect. Enraged, but patient, he laid his plans. Over the course of the next eight years, he systematically wiped out his own guild on four different prime worlds.

On the last prime, he found himself drifting again without aim or ambition. (level 19) Feeling useless, he sought out books and learned men - trying to find some reason to continue to exist. In this quest, he found rumors of a man who knew the secrets of the living and the dead. Hoping to find an answer, he sought out the man and found a temple - hidden deep in mysterious catacombs.

Enraged at the thought of finding answers in a deity, he started to destroy the interior. Powerful magic stopped him, bound him, and for the next eighteen months he was tortured by the resident of said temple. Broken and then remade, he was loosed upon the planes a newly ordained cleric of Vecna secretive and deadly.

...

Note, none of that is DM approved for the game, but I'm hopeful.
kuhTHOOloo
10-07-05, 10:08 AM I like the background a lot. But why did he get enraged when the representatives bowed to him?
Gunnloda
10-08-05, 02:43 AM I like the background a lot. But why did he get enraged when the representatives bowed to him?

His people were wiped out in a religious war. He hates deities in any form and found worshiping them just as heinous as being them. (thus why the guild started taking out holy men) When they bowed to him, he felt it was too close to worship to be allowed.
kuhTHOOloo
10-08-05, 09:41 AM One idea is that you could play the stereotypical cleric of Vecna, quiet, secretive, and always plotting. Your allies are expendable if need be. Never discuss your plans with them unless absoluteley necessary.

But that's really not much fun. Besides, it would waste your awesome backstory.

Go around gathering lore and information as a cleric of Vecna would normally do, but don't be totally cloistered. As the game goes on, you could have memories of your past slip back into recognition, and you could remember your hatred of deities. That would make for good roleplay possibilities, having to decide to live in your new life or old one. You might even decide to combine the two, give up Vecna, and become a Ur-Priest.
Gunnloda
10-09-05, 08:20 PM One idea is that you could play the stereotypical cleric of Vecna, quiet, secretive, and always plotting. Your allies are expendable if need be. Never discuss your plans with them unless absoluteley necessary.

I was actually considering playing up a very neutral, agreeable personality - just to mess with the other players - and keeping his plotting on the downlow.

As the game goes on, you could have memories of your past slip back into recognition, and you could remember your hatred of deities. That would make for good roleplay possibilities, having to decide to live in your new life or old one. You might even decide to combine the two, give up Vecna, and become a Ur-Priest.

I love the memories idea! I'll see if the DM minds having that slip in. It would be such a cool RP point.

Do you have suggestions for roleplaying being the priest? More ideas on how to be secretive and still true to the character's instilled beliefs. Like clearing with the DM that I say he's 'meditating' be his evening prayers and that sort of thing.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Gunnloda 10-05-05, 11:45 PM	My character is a janni (Monster class from Planar HB) Assassin (PrC, DMG) with one level in Cleric (of Vecna). I'm looking for roleplaying advice in a party with a want-to-be Lich, a shade, and a psionic.
kuhTHOOloo 10-06-05, 12:00 AM	Could you post the background that you have for you character? (at least a brief one) Then we could help you a lot better.
Gunnloda 10-06-05, 12:54 AM	Notes: It's a planar campaign, based in Sigil, but we leave the City of Doors regularly. I don't have anything solidly written out yet, but... Basically, he was a good person raised in the midst of a religious war (Levels 1-11), but after his caravan (read village/clan) was butchered during peacetalks, he found another path. Killing the priest who ordered his clan's death drew the attention of an assassin guild in the kingdom. When they approached him, he was drifting and alone. He joined them without protest and rose quickly in the ranks until he headed the guild. (Levels 12-16) Under his leadership, the guild began concentrating more on contracts to kill holy men, priests, and clerics. One day, when he met with the guild's representatives from different primes, they bowed to him out of respect. Enraged, but patient, he laid his plans. Over the course of the next eight years, he systematically wiped out his own guild on four different prime worlds. On the last prime, he found himself drifting again without aim or ambition. (level 19) Feeling useless, he sought out books and learned men - trying to find some reason to continue to exist. In this quest, he found rumors of a man who knew the secrets of the living and the dead. Hoping to find an answer, he sought out the man and found a temple - hidden deep in mysterious catacombs. Enraged at the thought of finding answers in a deity, he started to destroy the interior. Powerful magic stopped him, bound him, and for the next eighteen months he was tortured by the resident of said temple. Broken and then remade, he was loosed upon the planes a newly ordained cleric of Vecna secretive and deadly. ... Note, none of that is DM approved for the game, but I'm hopeful.
kuhTHOOloo 10-07-05, 10:08 AM	I like the background a lot. But why did he get enraged when the representatives bowed to him?
Gunnloda 10-08-05, 02:43 AM	I like the background a lot. But why did he get enraged when the representatives bowed to him? His people were wiped out in a religious war. He hates deities in any form and found worshiping them just as heinous as being them. (thus why the guild started taking out holy men) When they bowed to him, he felt it was too close to worship to be allowed.
kuhTHOOloo 10-08-05, 09:41 AM	One idea is that you could play the stereotypical cleric of Vecna, quiet, secretive, and always plotting. Your allies are expendable if need be. Never discuss your plans with them unless absoluteley necessary. But that's really not much fun. Besides, it would waste your awesome backstory. Go around gathering lore and information as a cleric of Vecna would normally do, but don't be totally cloistered. As the game goes on, you could have memories of your past slip back into recognition, and you could remember your hatred of deities. That would make for good roleplay possibilities, having to decide to live in your new life or old one. You might even decide to combine the two, give up Vecna, and become a Ur-Priest.
Gunnloda 10-09-05, 08:20 PM	One idea is that you could play the stereotypical cleric of Vecna, quiet, secretive, and always plotting. Your allies are expendable if need be. Never discuss your plans with them unless absoluteley necessary. I was actually considering playing up a very neutral, agreeable personality - just to mess with the other players - and keeping his plotting on the downlow. As the game goes on, you could have memories of your past slip back into recognition, and you could remember your hatred of deities. That would make for good roleplay possibilities, having to decide to live in your new life or old one. You might even decide to combine the two, give up Vecna, and become a Ur-Priest. I love the memories idea! I'll see if the DM minds having that slip in. It would be such a cool RP point. Do you have suggestions for roleplaying being the priest? More ideas on how to be secretive and still true to the character's instilled beliefs. Like clearing with the DM that I say he's 'meditating' be his evening prayers and that sort of thing.