Musings over a dwarf paladin [Archive] - Wizards Community

Musings over a dwarf paladin [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Jodjod
04-17-05, 04:13 PM Enclosed is a rather rough idea of a dwarf paladin which I'd be quite fond of playing...thoughts, criticisms and threats of hammer guns are always appreciated. Just bear with me, however.

Born to a wealthy merchant family, Taklinn had a privilieged childhood with a pre-dertermined career path layed out for him; start off with several years schooling and then join the military for a respectable amount of years. Afterwards he would take a comely dwarven maiden for his wife and take a position within his father's merchant company. Perhaps the god's were intent on other ideas, however.

He had typical early childhood-games of Swineball and chess with his chums, ocasional visits from tuitors to gauge his mental strengths and weaknesses, and the luxury of any other well-off dwarf. He found schooling bearable, if a bit dull but was nonetheless a fairly able lad.

Not long before entering the latter stage of his education, however, his dear uncle-an oddball explorer of the family-was back in Ashenheim after a expedition to the northern wastes. It seemed he had contracted a foul plague and although well on his way to recovery thought it best to rest for a few weeks to make sure it was gone.

Taklinn was delighted to see his uncle and talked to him often about his adventurers, but unfortunately he soon started to show the same signs of illness as his uncle. Being a young child and less hardy than normal regardless, this disease hit him hard. With little effect coming from herbs and remedies he fell down with foul rashes and lesions over much of his body and deabillitating pain.

After severals months of being cared for by the finest herbalists in Ashenheim he finally "won" the battle with his disease. Although not recovered, he stopped declining in health but perhaps to late-he was left crippled and a shell of his former self.

Both he and his entire family-none more than his uncle-devastated he continued schooling whilst losing cotnact with many other dwarves his age. He naturally felt unhappy over this and was happy when he finished schooling.

There was little doubt that he would fail in the military but he was entered anyway and indeed did not fair well. Months of training strained him greatly and it was only after being put on guard duty at a semi-isolated temple of Moradin that his life turned up. A kindly old cleric managed to cure his disease and miraculously give him back some of his lost strength. It was not a total recovery, true, and he still bore some of the unsightly lesions and marks of his illness but it was better than he could ever of hoped for. What is more, as the weeks went past the cleric found great potential within Taklinn as a devotee of Moradin and offered to bring him in to the temple as a direct student under him in the skills of a cleric. Taklinn loved this idea but felt ashamed of his failed time as a warrior and wished to pursue a path that could both be dedicated to the betterment of Moradin's causes and be somewhat martial in nature. The ways of a paladin seemed a natural, if tough, path.

Okay, rough ideas I know and no where near anything I'd want the finished product to be like but regardless I'd like suggestions. I'm having trouble thinking of what sort of personality he'd have without dwelling on the childhood trauma thing. It's pretty late at the moment and I've got to get some sleep, will discuss this more later.

Cheers,

Jodjod
Nuntius128
04-17-05, 08:22 PM Ya know what's even better, and ultimately makes a bit more sense than a Dwarf Paladin? A Gold Dwarf Paladin. Seriously, they see themselves as Moradin's favored, his masterwork, if you will. They also have a penalty to Dexterity instead of Charisma. Not that bad.

However, as your story goes, it sounds like a pretty well thought out kind of thing. However, it doesn't so much explain how he became a Paladin. What sort of a Paladin is he? A Crusader of Good, or a Destroyer of Evil, or a Healer?
Jodjod
04-18-05, 02:40 AM I'm thinming he is aspiring as a healer and protector. As I said, I'm not entirely sure how he should become a paladin...any ideas on entrance rituals?
SgtHulka
04-23-05, 09:42 AM Hm, with that background you have an opportunity to make him a somewhat reluctant Paladin, at least at first. Bear with me as I try to explain...what if at some point he's visited in a dream by Moradin, who essentially makes a bargain with him: I'll cure you of your disease if you give up your life of wealth and ease and dedicate yourself to my service. The kid agrees, and Moradin guides him to the temple where he's cured. The kid's overjoyed, goes right back to his life of ease and privilage, but then something happens that reminds the kid that he has a big debt to pay off to Moradin.

So the kid takes up the sword and somewhat reluctantly follows various signs of Moradin to take up the path of adventuring. At first the kid doesn't like it much, especially the part about giving up a lot of the treasure he finds, and even more so the part about risking his life. But he feels like he has to because he feels like Moradin's constantly looking over his shoulder like an over-bearing parent. But in the process of adventuring, maybe during the development of levels 1-3, the kid sees the light. He begins to realize how Great with a capital G Moradin really is, how important the ideals are that Moradin stands for, and by the time he's finished his first adventure or two is a fully committed Paladin, possibly even to the chagrin of his friends and family, who think he's a bit "nuts"...even more so than his odd uncle who at least was doing the adventuring thing for sensible reasons (money).

Basically develop the character from a spoiled, privilaged rich kid into a defender of the weak and the poor.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jodjod 04-17-05, 04:13 PM	Enclosed is a rather rough idea of a dwarf paladin which I'd be quite fond of playing...thoughts, criticisms and threats of hammer guns are always appreciated. Just bear with me, however. Born to a wealthy merchant family, Taklinn had a privilieged childhood with a pre-dertermined career path layed out for him; start off with several years schooling and then join the military for a respectable amount of years. Afterwards he would take a comely dwarven maiden for his wife and take a position within his father's merchant company. Perhaps the god's were intent on other ideas, however. He had typical early childhood-games of Swineball and chess with his chums, ocasional visits from tuitors to gauge his mental strengths and weaknesses, and the luxury of any other well-off dwarf. He found schooling bearable, if a bit dull but was nonetheless a fairly able lad. Not long before entering the latter stage of his education, however, his dear uncle-an oddball explorer of the family-was back in Ashenheim after a expedition to the northern wastes. It seemed he had contracted a foul plague and although well on his way to recovery thought it best to rest for a few weeks to make sure it was gone. Taklinn was delighted to see his uncle and talked to him often about his adventurers, but unfortunately he soon started to show the same signs of illness as his uncle. Being a young child and less hardy than normal regardless, this disease hit him hard. With little effect coming from herbs and remedies he fell down with foul rashes and lesions over much of his body and deabillitating pain. After severals months of being cared for by the finest herbalists in Ashenheim he finally "won" the battle with his disease. Although not recovered, he stopped declining in health but perhaps to late-he was left crippled and a shell of his former self. Both he and his entire family-none more than his uncle-devastated he continued schooling whilst losing cotnact with many other dwarves his age. He naturally felt unhappy over this and was happy when he finished schooling. There was little doubt that he would fail in the military but he was entered anyway and indeed did not fair well. Months of training strained him greatly and it was only after being put on guard duty at a semi-isolated temple of Moradin that his life turned up. A kindly old cleric managed to cure his disease and miraculously give him back some of his lost strength. It was not a total recovery, true, and he still bore some of the unsightly lesions and marks of his illness but it was better than he could ever of hoped for. What is more, as the weeks went past the cleric found great potential within Taklinn as a devotee of Moradin and offered to bring him in to the temple as a direct student under him in the skills of a cleric. Taklinn loved this idea but felt ashamed of his failed time as a warrior and wished to pursue a path that could both be dedicated to the betterment of Moradin's causes and be somewhat martial in nature. The ways of a paladin seemed a natural, if tough, path. Okay, rough ideas I know and no where near anything I'd want the finished product to be like but regardless I'd like suggestions. I'm having trouble thinking of what sort of personality he'd have without dwelling on the childhood trauma thing. It's pretty late at the moment and I've got to get some sleep, will discuss this more later. Cheers, Jodjod
Nuntius128 04-17-05, 08:22 PM	Ya know what's even better, and ultimately makes a bit more sense than a Dwarf Paladin? A Gold Dwarf Paladin. Seriously, they see themselves as Moradin's favored, his masterwork, if you will. They also have a penalty to Dexterity instead of Charisma. Not that bad. However, as your story goes, it sounds like a pretty well thought out kind of thing. However, it doesn't so much explain how he became a Paladin. What sort of a Paladin is he? A Crusader of Good, or a Destroyer of Evil, or a Healer?
Jodjod 04-18-05, 02:40 AM	I'm thinming he is aspiring as a healer and protector. As I said, I'm not entirely sure how he should become a paladin...any ideas on entrance rituals?
SgtHulka 04-23-05, 09:42 AM	Hm, with that background you have an opportunity to make him a somewhat reluctant Paladin, at least at first. Bear with me as I try to explain...what if at some point he's visited in a dream by Moradin, who essentially makes a bargain with him: I'll cure you of your disease if you give up your life of wealth and ease and dedicate yourself to my service. The kid agrees, and Moradin guides him to the temple where he's cured. The kid's overjoyed, goes right back to his life of ease and privilage, but then something happens that reminds the kid that he has a big debt to pay off to Moradin. So the kid takes up the sword and somewhat reluctantly follows various signs of Moradin to take up the path of adventuring. At first the kid doesn't like it much, especially the part about giving up a lot of the treasure he finds, and even more so the part about risking his life. But he feels like he has to because he feels like Moradin's constantly looking over his shoulder like an over-bearing parent. But in the process of adventuring, maybe during the development of levels 1-3, the kid sees the light. He begins to realize how Great with a capital G Moradin really is, how important the ideals are that Moradin stands for, and by the time he's finished his first adventure or two is a fully committed Paladin, possibly even to the chagrin of his friends and family, who think he's a bit "nuts"...even more so than his odd uncle who at least was doing the adventuring thing for sensible reasons (money). Basically develop the character from a spoiled, privilaged rich kid into a defender of the weak and the poor.