Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Stick Sam 07-19-05, 03:05 PM	Oh man oh man oh man, I'm a newbie Well, not to the D20 system, not even DnD or Forgotten Realms, but I've never done a Cleric... ah Clerics, those crazy pagans. Any way, after doing some fighter action and some mage action, I've decided to become so holier than thou and be a Cleric of Illmater. It has been a long time since I made a DnD character and I want to do it right. Right now this is what I got: He is a Human. No physical descprition, but I was thinking a about going for a bookish guy (Wesley from Angel). He was raised in a noble house in Waterdeep (mind you I know jack about that town myself), but after leading a very sheltered life, he decided to sneak out. After leaving his home, he soon found the problems that come with large cities in the old days. Poverty, famine, and disease. After seeing all of this, he found that he could no long eat fancy meals with his lavish clothes and decided to leave. That's when he found a cleric of Illmater helping people on the street. Quickly finding the dogma truly noble, he decided to leave and devote his life to a Illmater. Now I have the basic back story and I am working on detailing my mentor and my family. For the family, I was thinking about the kind of family that makes an offer you can't refuse and I was thinking about making a tough love mentor. What I really need right now are suggestions of how to do my speeches on faith, quirks, and other suggestions about how my character could act. He will be a good character (probably neutral good), but I still want to have a funny character (not that kind of tied up). I also don't have any Stats rolled up because I think that it is much more important to figure out what you are role playing before you start rolling. I am thinking about the standard Cleric though, but with a high Con so I can shoulder peoples burdons. Any help would be great and thanks in advance.
dorkknight23 07-20-05, 01:55 AM	After image-searching your inspiration (Buffy/Angel aren't my forte,) I like the idea. My immediate suggestion is: Give your character glasses. While reading your description, I imagined him moving his glasses up his nose and saying, "Well, the scriptures can clearly state whatever they like..." He's a NG cleric to Ilmater (a LG god,) so he probably views Ilmater as "the best choice" for what he wants: to help people. He doesn't care much about rules and regulations, and probably would be bored to tears by the idea of arguing about bylaws within the faith, or belonging to a specific sect of Ilmater. You shouldn't care about what deities the party venerates (unless the deity in question's an incredibly sadistic deity like Talona,) as long as the person is willing to help people regularly, especially without caring about payment. The strength of your speeches might depend on your charisma. I almost like seeing him in the 12-13 range for Charisma, being a little meek and reserved, but likeable. The higher it goes, the more forceful you are (when you need to be.) You should really put high stats into Wisdom (duh,) Intelligence (to fit into being bookish,) and Constitution (carrying those burdens, like you talked about.) Strength and Dexterity you don't need a whole lot of, put your lowest score in strength (you're a noble, and the heaviest thing you ever lifted was Volo's Guide to Undermountain.) Being a bookworm, you could have a lot of fanciful notions and knowledge, but little experience. Approach a problem like you read about it in a book, or studied it, and know a lot in a few knowledge skills (history, maybe, and religion,) but then not know some ridiculously common knowledge. Also, be inquisitive and generally naïve and wide-eyed about the world. Act like everywhere you're going is the first time you've been somewhere like that.
Nicholas the Paladin 07-20-05, 07:55 AM	I've some experience with playing a cleric of Illmater. I always played him as being somewhat sad about the world....with those sad looking 'Aragorn' eyes of his. He knows that he's helping a world that can't be helped..... but he cannot do it otherwise. Besides that see Illmatarans as being the kindest of souls....but that can strike hard, ... really really hard if injustice gets the better of them. (I always thought Illmatarans as being devouted,loving, but sad christians.) I think that Illmatarans have a high WIS first and foremost
Uberwoot 07-20-05, 08:00 AM	Ah, Ilmater. He who Endures. We're a patient, kindhearted lot- surely nothing is more noble than emulating the god who would take the very man who hates him into his arms and bestow healing. That's the kind of love that turns men's hearts- and wins converts. Always diligently faithful, showing everyone our kindness, turning the other cheek. It takes a lot of self-discipline to follow someone who tells you to do that- even a god. You think you've got what it takes? Well, I'm sure your instructors taught you a lot of fine things. Maybe they put some fine, chivalrous ideas in your head, eh? A fine goal, to be sure- but if that's what you're looking to do, maybe you'd be better off looking for a priest of Torm, or signing up to be a squire to a paladin. They'd teach you a lot more about slaying dragons and upholding your honor. Honor is not our game. Glory isn't our game. Our game is helping people. You embrace a man dying of plague and give him a few words of comfort, then do your best to console his widow and children, donating your last coppers to make their lives easier. Then everyone stays away from you because they don't want to catch it too, and you bear that too. There's no glory in it, but sometimes there's love. Some people come to appreciate what you do, and some will give a prayer of praise to the Broken One. And that's what it's about. No, I can't teach you how to heal people. I can teach you how to worship Ilmater, and ask him to heal people for you. You talk to him- he answers. Oh, that excites you, does it? Maybe this will work out alright after all.
Morka 07-20-05, 10:36 AM	I once designed an Ilmater follower who was an ugly child (born with goat horns due to an evil mage curse on his mother while she was pregnant). This ugly child was continually bullied and beaten by other childs in his town, and they made fun of his wrath. Then his parents, some retired adventurers, introduced him to a cleric of Ilmater who taught him to Endure by reciting prayers. Finally able to control his wrath, he earn the respect from the other kids, and they stopped to bully and beat him. He eventually began to protect other weak or ugly kids, and eventually weak people. Perhaps this background could fit for your mentor?
Nicholas the Paladin 07-21-05, 03:02 AM	Ah, Ilmater. He who Endures. We're a patient, kindhearted lot- surely nothing is more noble than emulating the god who would take the very man who hates him into his arms and bestow healing. That's the kind of love that turns men's hearts- and wins converts. Always diligently faithful, showing everyone our kindness, turning the other cheek. It takes a lot of self-discipline to follow someone who tells you to do that- even a god. You think you've got what it takes? Well, I'm sure your instructors taught you a lot of fine things. Maybe they put some fine, chivalrous ideas in your head, eh? A fine goal, to be sure- but if that's what you're looking to do, maybe you'd be better off looking for a priest of Torm, or signing up to be a squire to a paladin. They'd teach you a lot more about slaying dragons and upholding your honor. Honor is not our game. Glory isn't our game. Our game is helping people. You embrace a man dying of plague and give him a few words of comfort, then do your best to console his widow and children, donating your last coppers to make their lives easier. Then everyone stays away from you because they don't want to catch it too, and you bear that too. There's no glory in it, but sometimes there's love. Some people come to appreciate what you do, and some will give a prayer of praise to the Broken One. And that's what it's about. No, I can't teach you how to heal people. I can teach you how to worship Ilmater, and ask him to heal people for you. You talk to him- he answers. Oh, that excites you, does it? Maybe this will work out alright after all. I couldn't have said it better. Praised be Uberwoot....errr...Illmater