Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sir Gimp 09-13-04, 08:12 PM	ok my signature character i play is ravlinn runehammer a dwarf preist of moradin..hes been through all kinds of stuff in game and i was wondering if you guys can give me a few ideas for a story/novel...and any ideas on how to make him unique would be great..ill check back in a few days as my net access isnt stable :mad: thanx alot guys and girls ~ Ye can cut me beard just dont take me hammer~:P ravlinn runehammer
Mancer 09-13-04, 11:44 PM	I think it is great when people get so into a character that they become inspired to write a novel about them. I hope it works. There are a few things to look out for when coming up with a story for a character. Some of these things I've learned over the years, some of them are the ideas of others, and some of them I've probably read or heard somewhere and mistakenly believe I've come up with them on my own. :P Anyhoo, here they are: 1) Make your character have a memorable hook. If you just make Bob the Dwarf, he isn't going to be very exciting. He needs more meat on him than what is presented in the Monster Manual entry for Dwarves. You already get some help by assigning him a class and deity, but don't stop there. 2) Don't make him the antithesis of Bob the Dwarf. Just because he has a memorable hook doesn't mean he shouldn't have at least a little of his heritage rub off on him, especially in the case of a cleric. Don't copy him from the Monster Manual verbatim, but don't be afraid to use the material others have provided as a foundation for you. Even Drizzt Do'Urden inherited the strong chaotic streak of his foremothers. 3) Make him do things you regret. He isn't you! Have him make diffferent choices. He might not like things you do, and he might value things you don't. Have you ever done something you regret? Make him do things he regrets, too. No one can play perfectly in character all the time, not even when they are playing themselves. The choices you have him make will flesh him out better than whatever level/class/race he is. A well-rounded stat block does not a well-rounded character make. 4) Good writing more than makes up for any "bad" ideas you try to work into the story. You can make anything work, but you need to figure out if a given thing is worth the effort required to make it fit into the story. 5) Don't listen to me or anyone else too seriously! If I had any really useful advice, I'd apply it to one of my own numerous works in progress instead of sharing it with you. :P Again, good luck.
Merxis 09-13-04, 11:52 PM	Well, its a stab in the dark here, but this topic came up not too long ago in my gaming group... Have him start a bar. And another. And another. Pretty soon, and at low level, you can own an impressive number of establishments, raking in dough! Money+Beer=Classic Happy Dwarf In a more straight-faced manner though, opening a bar, tavern, smithy, etc. is something that is not frequently thrown onto D&D characters, as it means they are 'settling down' usually. This can be negated by making sure you just have trustworthy attendants to run it while he is adventuring, and can make some cool characters to interact with regularly.
Sir Gimp 09-15-04, 08:21 PM	ok guys thanx umm some vital stats comeing....umm ravlinn is the las of his clan so he seeks to adventure enough to gain enough reputation/wealth/status to found a new kingdom..somewhere which should give me plenty of sa basis for writting..umm hes friends with a halfling named draketold quickfingers..and he has a wife who is human..so come on guys any ideas??
Mancer 09-16-04, 09:21 PM	A human wife? That is an interesting twist. Good call. Have you decided how others will deal with this? What do other humans think of his wife? What do other dwaves think of him? The tavern idea could be very interesting as well. It might be neat to write a story focused on a location, rather than an adventurer. Basically the adventures would come to him. I'll try to be more helpful in my next post. I just woke up, so I'm not exactly brimming with ideas. Mostly I'm brimming with urine. I have to go.
Sir Gimp 09-17-04, 07:44 AM	ok his wifes name is Marra..they met in a bar where she was working and over time their relationship eventually grew beyond (my dm was really cool) umm she was raised by dwarves so she knows how to deal with his ways..the tavern idea is awsome ill try to work it out in my head..what humans/ other dwarves think of this hadnt occured to me thats interesting..any ideas on that??ummm in game she died having his children but because he was a faithful servent to moradin (she herself followed moradin) the soulforger reached down and apon her death changed her into a dwarf and the 3 children lived..:) should i use that chunk in the story..i think it could be good..what do you guys think. again mucho thanx for the ideas/ input keep it comeing please :D
Sir Gimp 09-20-04, 07:53 AM	hello??? anyone out there did i loose you guys???
Trydan 09-20-04, 09:32 AM	So, what does this dwarf do for a living. Drinking in taverns is all well and good, but he'll run out of money soon enough. If he is an adventurer or warrior, there'll be times when there are no quests or adventures to be had. What does he do then? A craft or trade? If so, what? And how would that impact on what he does when the action picks up. Good luck writing a novel/book. I've often thought about such a thing, but (so far!) haven't managed to acquire sufficient energy and motivation to do so. However, I have tried to write down a rough outline of the plot (just bullet points). You may wish to do the same for your attempt, just to help guide your writing. Alternatively, you could just start typing, and see where it takes you. Best wishes for it.
Sir Gimp 09-23-04, 08:04 AM	yeah i was trying the rough outline thing last night and it really helps...ima start work on the first chapter soon would you guys like me to post it here??( itll be a few days though cuz my band is playing my sisters Birthday party) :) sad huh
Sir Gimp 09-25-04, 07:17 PM	ok so can you guys gimme some ideas on how to kickstart the whole thing please..ive got a good character outline for everyone in the story..but i need a way to get it started:(
john_carlos 09-28-04, 12:51 PM	Last in his clan huh? Well in that case you could have a very old ravlinn, the clan laird, sitting in front of a fire telling his grandkids (great grandkids?) about how he was once the last of the runehammer clan and go from there.
Sir Gimp 10-01-04, 12:27 PM	yeah thats a sweet idea ill prolly use but i need a way to get the actual plot rolling ill post semi character outlines soon :)