Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Shaggy_Shaggs 10-15-06, 04:30 AM	So there's a game coming up. General theme is characters are newly hired members of the crew of an airship that tends to engage in piracy. DM said any alignment was an option, but try to keep good and evil alignments slanted toward neutrality rather than extreme. The other players wanted to play a barbarian, a sorcerer, and a rogue, and not wanting to leave a gap I went for the divine caster slot - a druid. Specifically, a NE goblin druid, tough, smart and wise, not too quick, and pathetically weak and subdued. Now, my general idea for this character is that he's a survivor (the last survivor of a previous goblinoid party that got wiped out, in fact), but timid and easily bullied. Consequently, he desperately wants to move up several places on the food chain, and be a predator, powerful, the one in control. He wants to eat enemies whole, call lightning down from the sky to burn them to ash, etc etc. He's signed up with the crew because he's especially interested in aerial predators, wind and lightning, and wants to get more experience and observation of them, and it seemed like a good way to do so. Now, we're starting off at 3rd level, so for now the character isn't terribly powerful, but druids are rather known for their explosive power growth at the middle levels, and carrying it on into the high ones. I'm concerned because I'm not really able to come up with any good reasons why my little creepy megalomaniac shouldn't try to take over (or ditch) the party once he jumps from zero to hero. I would like to keep the predatory, power-hungry attitude, but I need some personality hook that'll keep the character in check without seeming contrived or forced. Please help me.
Tiefling_Warlock 10-15-06, 09:33 PM	Perhaps a friendship? level 3 to mid will take time, time where he becomes friends with at *least* who won't want to kill the party, thus keeping him in line.
Branto 10-15-06, 09:35 PM	Well, if all else fails you could have one of the more powerful NPCs (or PCs, even) take some means to keep your character in check. Perhaps a Gais spell or magical item of similar affect that would hurt your character if he tries to harm the leaders of the airship crew (or anyone in the crew, for that matter)?
Shaggy_Shaggs 10-15-06, 09:37 PM	Hmmmm... both of those ideas have some merit, I should be able to work with one or both. Thanks.
Fithero 10-16-06, 02:28 AM	If he's taking on the mannerisms of a predator, why not make him a sort of 'pack predator'? A wolf wont attack another member of its pack (unless its too old or baddly wounded... which wouldnt really bode well for any party members... but you can over look that :P) and will usually fight to the death to protect them. Hope this helps some. Peace
Alex_Belinsky 10-16-06, 01:29 PM	Or your PC begins as useful helper for other members, then became indispensable supporter (he's wise, and others not so wise!), then critical for survival of others. This, combined with pack psychology (as Fithero said), can moderate his temper. He's leader, and others are useful allies. Life's good!:)
JulesCARV 10-16-06, 08:14 PM	Maybe he could develop a kind of arrogance that means he doesn't really think in terms of human(oid) relationships anymore when he thinks of power. He thinks, "I'm a major badass druid who can destroy cities with my earthquakes and swallow my enemies whole. Sure, I could try to take over this bunch of bumbling idiots, but why? It'd be nothing more than a hobby, like managing an ant farm." It'd be a bit like the stereotypical dragon. Sure, a dragon could intervene in every little dynastic struggle in a neighboring human kingdom and gain influence by making sure that House Mardanus holds the throne, thus ensuring that Baron Monteillor is appointed chancellor, who could easily be manipulated into serving the dragon's ends, but she thinks that's beneath her, and has bigger fish to fry, so she doesn't bother.
Branto 10-16-06, 09:41 PM	A wolf wont attack another member of its pack (unless its too old or baddly wounded... which wouldnt really bode well for any party members... but you can over look that :P) and will usually fight to the death to protect them. Errr.. actually, it's quite the contrary. In groups of wolves there are FREQUENT power struggles between the stronger males (this applies to many other pack animals, too). Basically, any male strong or arrogant enough that he thinks he has a chance of taking on the alpha male will fight him to try and claim the status for himself, as well as just beating on the weaker males to make sure they know their place. So essentially, what he wanted to PREVENT his character from doing is being like a wolf. ;)
Fithero 10-16-06, 11:00 PM	Errr.. actually, it's quite the contrary. :bored:.... I dont know! I live in Australia... we don't even have wolves, we got dingo's. Pardon my lack of knowledge of the social practices of wild life from other continents :P Peace
Fatalis_902 10-18-06, 01:21 PM	You can use your ideas, and then tohold together, just use the epic non-meta-game party psycology. Why do epic level characters stick together? Because they recognize each other as useful in dealing with challenges on their plane. Go with something like that. Your druid sees these guys as useful allies, and is not about to abandon them. Besides, you can always retire the character at some point, if he is truly not what you wanted him to be.
Shaggy_Shaggs 10-18-06, 01:36 PM	Oh no, it's not all that bad, I'm not dreading some horrible conflict of interest or hating playing the character. I've no intention of screwing with the rest of the party once I've got the power to do so, I just ran dry on the creative juices and was drawing a blank on a better reason not to toy with them than "they have the PC AuraTM and are not to be mistreated." The friendship idea seems to be the best option (if it works out that way), compulsion via magic greater than the character's own could also work. For any fellow PCs the character may not become friendly with for whatever reason, I rather like the draconic perspective idea. Having the power and control is all well and good, but once you get it, micromanagement is a pain in the posterior anyway, it makes a fair degree of sense that the broader the power gap gets, the less eager the character should be to meddle in the others' affairs, beyond what's needed to protect his property and interests. I think I'm good to go, now, thanks folks.
Need_A_Life 10-20-06, 02:54 PM	Mess with them enough to keep them on their toes, but don't turn on them without good reason (and slipping the DM a note first, depending on your style). Hey, in our group we keep bargaining amongst our selves, buying/tricking people to sell/snatching souls/wealth/reputation/whatever, but we always make sure it's a battle of wits rather than of stats... Inter-party conflict = Fun Inter-party fighting = Boring... except if I get a cut of the bets ;)