Post/Author/DateTime	Post
camirblu 02-15-07, 01:50 PM	Hey there. Sorry I've been absent for a while. o.O Life's got me by the horns, so to speak. And, because it has I've been scrambling when it comes to a new PC. I'd like to make him believable, but I want to push this pup away from the "thoughtful hero-ish" types I've found myself playing lately (I've played 2, this would be #3). I'd like some suggestions to break the mold in an interesting way. :) Challenge me! Brief background: Conjan is the young pup with fangs, a little guy who wants to be more than he is, and who could be, bridled and reined in by the responsibility he's given. He has his ideals, his drive. They're tempered by the leader he serves, like a well-heeled hound with its own ambitions. He's an acolyte of an ordered god, a god who believes in purity of soul and the fortress of reality. This god has little time for disruption caused by disorder. Strength and purity are his demands, and he asks his followers to encase themselves in ice once a year, for as long as they can stand, to commune with Him. His domains are cold, law, and protection, and he gives a boon against discerning illusion. His weapon is the halberd, his symbol the iced horn of battle, and his hunters are called upon to be judges as often as seekers of the lawless, named for the chill coursing hounds of the north. (housecrafted deity of my own craft, whee) There's lawful all over the place. Suggestions for traits that would make him less "thoughtful" and "reserved" without making him a maniac? He's a cleric, at level 1 with the domains protection and cold and a set of doggy pajamas. I like a challenge. Gimmie some ideas, here, no matter how off-the-wall. What is he besides the pupling of this god? What strikes you?
Adrian_Crane 02-15-07, 02:21 PM	My immediate reaction to make it interesting would be inner conflict--deep down, he is a true believer of his deity, and he follows him obediently, but it doesn't come naturally. His patron, seeing this, accepts him as a follower with the knowledge that Conjan has his heart in the right place. At the same time, though, it is not an easy path for him to walk. Honestly, I would shoot for making the character naturally Chaotic, even as a servant of a Lawful Deity. However, at every turn he has to FORCE himself to think lawfully. Even if it bends the rules a bit, it's great fun and works with the concept. Over time, you'd slowly become more Lawful, or finally accept defeat and move on.
camirblu 02-15-07, 02:45 PM	I like the idea of inner conflict. Torn-apart characters are great, but they have to have some sort of "trap" to make them viable in a party, which is what you suggested (at least the way I read it). Filling a role even if he can't do it from the inside out. That brings an interesting twist: the DM is ruling that all gods, any gods, demand the feeding of ego and belief. Without both, your spells fail and the god looks away. Food for thought: Ice freezes, it's rigid, but does it trap more impurities or kill them by isolation? Too, the deeper ice goes, the darker its coloring. I wouldn't mind this PC falling to the darker areas of the faith, though he could also stray towards its purest points. But how to do that without falling to "thoughtful?" Looking for more ideas to chew on while I think this over. Challenge me, please, and thank you for the thoughts, Adrian! :)
Adrian_Crane 02-15-07, 04:10 PM	If you want dark side without being thoughtful, insane is about as dark as it gets (to me). He could finally snap, at least somewhat, from the mental strain of trying to reconcile the opposing viewpoints. I don't remember the exact rules for madness scores, but it could be interesting, to say the least... He could, quite authentically, come to believe in BOTH chaos and law--have him register as neutral for auras. Meanwhile, you've got a schizo character. Granted, that gets into the danger area of making him a party hazard (Frenzied Berzerker, anyone?). Your call, but even some mild instability would fit him well. Another thought: ice preserves, too--both good and bad.
TwoPi 02-15-07, 04:13 PM	Ice shows no mercy, it covered everything, good evil living dead. While it seems clear on the outside it also obsures the vision of the one looking through it. These could work well for a driven character trying to become more like his god.
camirblu 02-15-07, 04:42 PM	It's almost like an inner perversion of the god's beliefs, in a way, but the difference may be subtle enough that it's actually not. What's the difference between obscuration and illusion in this case? Subtle point, I know, but I could end up defining much of his character by this trait. We've at this point admitted, Ice Conceals. Perhaps that's the god's terrible secret...I'll speak with the DM. The god forbids his clergy from the illusion domain. ...again, subtle point between obscuration and illusion: what is that point? And chaos could well play in here. A flicker of it at the core...chaos trapped by ice and forced into its working? What would the god say, if it's for the goal of preserving order? (He's part of a story where the nation just fell. The barbarians are "lawful" and organized, but they're enslavers. To return law to power against law, what do you do?) Damn. Nice one, both of you. Thank you both. :)
Adrian_Crane 02-15-07, 04:53 PM	Hmmm...speaking of obscuring... Ice may preserve, but looking through it provides a warped image. Perhaps have his sense of order become more and more warped as he tries harder and harder to enforce it. Hell, for a further parallel...blinded by the light. Snow blind.
camirblu 02-15-07, 05:34 PM	Very nice. :) Also, very dangerous, given the campaign. But... Thank you both. XD