Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rudysseus 05-31-04, 07:32 PM	I just created a level 3 hexblade/4 Rogue/4 Occult Slayer, in effect creating a very effective character against all magic users. For some reason, I'm having trouble coming up with the following: 1) An appearance that is somewhat unique. (I've always had the character that was sort of borderline evil, with long black hair and somewhat pale skin. And want something unique.) 2) I've taken a feat called "Title" that came from an older Monte Cook book that we've added into the DM's homebrew mix, its like getting Orcslayer or Giantsbane added to your name for something you are known for. I basically am a bounty hunter that kills evil spellcasters of any sort, so something with that would be cool. 3) Any ideas for a unique history? The whole "my family was slain by magic users, so now I hunt them" seems redundant. He's a true neutral human with the following stats: STR: 14 DEX: 18 CON: 12 INT: 12 WIS: 10 CHA: 18 He also carries a greatsword if that has any impact on anything anyone may come up with. And is very skilled in Bluff and Diplomacy. Any help would be appreciated.
Illithidbix 05-31-04, 10:38 PM	Heres a few suggestions: Appearance Totally hairless (yes everywhere), maybe covered in tattoo’s Dreadlocks, covered in scars. Odd coloured, almost gleaming skin, almost as if it was liquid metal... Background Perhaps have him having a strict Military upbringing, perhaps he has been trained from childhood (maybe his father was a fanatically devoted soldier and “volunteered” him for it), and was inducted into a special (covert?) anti-Mage unit, hence his training and abilities. Perhaps he hunts down mages out of a sense of duty for his country (or whatever he serves). He may have left the army (offically or not...) and keeps to habit in hunting and fighting mages. Or Perhaps he is a follower of a Religious-Philosophy which empathises the need for order and control (both personal and in society as a whole) and teaches that people have a vulnerability to be seduced by power, devoting their lives to obtaining it and then fulfilling their bloated sense of importance once they gain it, wrecking havoc on society and the world in the process. Whist there are many forms of power, political, physical and technological, the most problematic of is course is magical power, which grants an disproportionate amount of power to the individual for the effort exerted to gain it, hence it needs to be controlled at all costs. Maybe the Sect has a specailly trained Templar Unit for this specific purpose, and you're character is a member of it. I played in a (very cool) short campaign recently where all the players were members of a Covert Anti-Mage (run very much like a modern Counter-terrorist agency, to the point of standard issue mithiral shirts and wands of searing light) unit in a mage-hating Empire run by a Theocracy, which was based upon a combanation of the two above ideas. Of coruse if you want to you and always fall back on the idea that he's basically just a psycho who goes looking for a challenge and figures that mages provide rather more interesting prey than block-headed fighters... (ps… two 18’s? Yikes…)
Mordmorgan the Mad 06-01-04, 02:00 AM	If your looking for a non-standard backround, you could go for something like the following: Your character tried to become a wizard at one time. He was taken in by a master wizard who, unbeknownst to him, has a cruel streak a mile wide. The wizard tortured your character every night for three years, until your mind just snapped. You slew your mentor and, in your new mental state (mostly normal, just convinced all mages are as your former master was), you vow to destroy those who use the most foulest of creatons: magic. Just a thought. Let me know what you think.
Trydan 06-01-04, 07:35 AM	Another idea for wizard slaying may be based upon the idea that he is not capable of being a wizard himself. As a result jealously kicks in, and that fuels his obsessionl. You could make it even worse by having his girlfriend/wife seduced or wooed away by a wizard, thus fan the flames of hatred.
DNA 06-04-04, 08:30 PM	The character has a Cha of 18, which is probably largely based on looks, since stalkers tend to be kinda scary personality-wise. I'm not sure if it's a hackneyed idea or not, since I'm not sure what people tend to play, but maybe he's a haughty noble and his anti-mage... leanings are based on an overblown sense of chivalry? As the high and mighty Knight of the Silver Rose or whatever, he finds battle mages to be cowards and tricksters who fear honest and noble combat, and who don't recognize their social betters. Or, to take the same idea in another direction, maybe he's a very dedicated and good-hearted and exceptionally pragmatic agent, but he has the misfortune of owing his allegiance to a paranoid and semi-delusional lord who fears mages. He himself might have little hatred for spellcasters, but in keeping with his liege's orders, he has trained himself to fight them. Little bit of tension in that one, especially if the boss finally goes around the bend and starts ordering the death of innocents. As for the Title thing... D&D doesn't really provide mechanics for most purely role-playing decisions like that. I'd argue that if the DM approves your character background, and the background says you're famous, then you really shouldn't need to take a feat to earn yourself a nickname. Appearance: He's very good-looking, I'd expect from the Charisma score. VERY good-looking. I might go with stereotypical Aryan features, chiseled physique, and a ready smile, but a fair amount of turmoil behind the fair visage.
Rudysseus 06-04-04, 10:28 PM	ah the Title Feat (as described in the Monte Cook book, either Unearther Arcana or Arcana Unearthed, NOT the new book that came out recently, but an older one) gives the person a +1 bonus to Charisma, so thats why thats so high. we've got sort of a homebrew thing going and the rules seem to change as often as the winds...